2026-04-22

We have three exceptional special schools in Kildare North, namely, St. Raphael's Special School in Celbridge, Stepping Stones Special School in Maynooth and Sapling Special School in Kill. Indeed, the Minister of State met the school management of Stepping Stones this day last week, and I thank him for his work and engagement. It is much appreciated. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of special schools throughout the country and, under the leadership of the Minister of State, we have seen an increase in the number of special classes in mainstream education. This ensures that children get equal access to education and equal opportunity regardless of their background and perspective. All children who go to a special school or are in a special classroom have goals that are set out at the beginning of the year for them to achieve by the end of the year. There are some students who go through the junior cycle profile of achievement, JCPA. There is level 1 and level 2. This affords students in special schools the ability to have a level 1 or level 2 certificate at the end of completing the junior cycle. That is crucial for those young people when some of them want to go into the workplace in the future. It also provides a great sense of achievement and pride, not just for the student but for their families and the entire school community. At present, schools must manually generate JCPA certificates. The Department does not hold independent completion records of the students who have completed the JCPA and certificates are not automatically issued. As a result, junior cycle completion in special schools depends entirely on school level administration, unlike mainstream settings. The deputy principal in St. Raphael's in Celbridge was in touch with me about the lack of meaningful junior certificate recognition for their students and the increased administrative burdens on school staff. We made a representation on the issue and the Department was in touch with the school one week after we raised it. Certificates will be issued to last year's students. However, it should not be up to the schools to issue certificates. It should not be up to me or anybody else to contact the Department about these certificates being issued. It is about due process, fairness, equality and recognising the work and effort of the students, the staff and the families who have helped the students get to that point. There are some other concerns about some of the content that teachers have been recommended to teach. Staff have raised concerns about some of the material, which can be infantilising and quite childish for students who are 12- or 13-year-olds, or older. Those staff feel there needs to be more of an acknowledgement that every child's development and learning journey is very different, and that needs to be acknowledged. Some are more developed in certain ways than others, and that needs to be acknowledged. The main issue is that students deserve recognition equal in dignity to their peers. That does not only apply to special schools. Now that we see the increased opening of special classes in mainstream secondary schools, it is important for those students to feel equal to their peers in the year. Ensuring they have a certificate to show that is part of it. As I said, it would mean they could go into meaningful employment in the future and have something to show for it.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. If he does not mind, I will depart a little from the script with which I have been provided. It is hugely important. We are talking about inclusion and making sure we get the best possible education for children with additional needs as they go through primary and post-primary school. As the Deputy rightly said, we are announcing more special classes. We are really trying to make the education system fit for purpose in meeting the needs of students with additional needs. As with other countries, we have seen the need growing across Ireland and the OECD. I have said many times that I shudder to think what is happening in the undeveloped countries. We are really trying to come to terms with it. The Deputy mentioned St. Raphael's, Stepping Stones and Saplings special schools. I met representatives of Stepping Stones last week. I meet representatives of special schools regularly and have been to a huge number of such schools across the country. I applaud the work that is being done in the special schools and in special education, in particular. The Deputy mentioned special schools and I have met their representatives. From this week on, I will be having a number of regional meetings with the principals of special schools right across the country. We are starting an engagement process in Sligo on Friday. It will be right across the country. We will be meeting the leadership in special schools to get an understanding of the challenges that are being faced. The Deputy raised the issue of the State exams and certification. It is hugely important that we have uniformity at the very core. The Deputy mentioned his representation in relation to certificates being issued. That is simply not good enough. We have to make sure for the student cohort who are going to special schools. A huge amount of work is being done in the schools and by families to equip students for life after school with the best possible engagement and fulfilment they can have in the life they lead. If we are true to the word "inclusion", we must include everybody. A lot of work has gone on in relation to designing the junior certificate and, indeed, the leaving certificate at the special school level. It is important we ensure that at the end of that process, it is the very same for the students who are going to the special school, in that the certificate is issued and we work through the various challenges to make sure they are on the same level as their peers in mainstream education. It is something we are looking at very closely. I intend to make sure that happens. It is not the case for public representatives; I know the Deputy is deeply invested in special education. He has spoken to me many times over the last 12 or 14 months or so in relation to the challenges that are being faced, and I appreciate that. We had a very successful visit to the Deputy's part of County Kildare recently. I actually saw first-hand the excellent work that has been done in some of the school communities there, which I mentioned in various discussions we have had not alone in the Department but in the wider sphere as well. To address the Deputy's point, it is important that the student cohort who are going to special schools earn the same recognition as any of their peers. We have to ensure that the certificates are generated and issued within the State exams system within the Department. I can assure the Deputy that it is something we need to address because it is an issue that has arisen. We are working on it, and we have a lot of work done in designing the various schemes over the past while to have it student focused as well. It is something I intend to take very seriously.

I thank the Minister of State for his response and, indeed, as I mentioned at the beginning, his hard work in this area. There has been a marked improvement in special education in the country since he took on the role as Minister of State for special education. I commend him on that. I want to thank him as well for his continued engagement because I have been raising issues with him continuously and he has always engaged in an open, fair and constructive way, and I think many people across the House will say the same. I am not going to go over to previous points but what I would like to do and as I always do on a Topical Issue matter, parliamentary question or oral parliamentary questions, is try to come up with proposed solutions. We can all identify problems, but actually identifying the solutions is the key aspect we should be doing a little bit more of as public representatives. The first solution I have is automatic certification, that is, introducing a centrally triggered junior certificate profile of achievement process for all junior cycle students, including level 1 and level 2. The second is a clear national certificate to develop a recognisable certificate of junior cycle completion for level 1 and 2 pathways, issued directly by the Department. Finally, we need a review for parity of esteem to examine junior cycle certification arrangements in special schools and address the perceived structural inequality. Those three steps would go a long way to solving this. Maybe it does not seem like a huge issue to a lot of people but for those going through special education, particularly with the increase in special classes in mainstream, it will become more of an issue. It is just about due recognition for hard work and the effort made by the students, their families and the school community.

The Department is keenly aware of it. There is always room for improvement and we are very understanding of that. We are challenged every day to make sure the education system is improving into the future right across the education system and, indeed, for special education as well. What we are going to invest in special education now will have huge benefits for students, families and society in the long term. I firmly believe that it will give a greater understanding. Parity of esteem is one thing, and automatic certification is hugely important. We have to stand back and say that students who are going through special schools or special education must have parity of esteem with their peers. At the core of inclusion is ensuring students have the same rights and attainability and ensuring the best possible outcomes when they go beyond school. We did introduce some funding this year for the transition period from schools to adulthood. That is something I would be very keen to address. I addressed it again last night during Private Members' business. I take the Deputy's points. I can assure him that this is something we will very much take on board. We will work very closely with the Deputy in relation to this. I am very keen to see automatic certification. The key phrase is "parity of esteem" so that everybody is treated equally and we understand and acknowledge the work that is being done by students, their families and the school communities and give recognition to that. I will work on that with the Deputy. I thank him for his engagement and his interest in special education over the last while. As I said, it is important that we, as Members of the House, continue to advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable because it is by that we will be judged.