Critical Issues Affecting Special Needs Assistants in the Irish Education System
Keywords:
Special Needs Assistant (SNA), special school, qualifications, continuous professional development, supervision, collaborationAbstract
More than 18 000 special needs assistants (SNAs) are employed in Irish schools. According to the Department of Education (DE), their primary function is to support the care needs of students with additional needs, assist teachers, and ensure that students can access education. In recent times, SNAs have been campaigning for greater recognition of their contribution to the Irish education system. This campaign has highlighted several critical issues that impact SNAs working in Ireland, including entry-level training and qualifications, ambiguity regarding their role and responsibilities and a lack of access to ongoing professional development.
Recognising the genuine contribution of SNAs to the Irish education system and addressing some of the known inequities they experience is of particular interest to the author of this paper. The author works in a special education setting where forty-two SNAs comprise 80% of the staff. Hiring graduates for the role and investing heavily in their professional development has been transformative for this school. The contribution of SNAs in this setting is extensive and has enabled the school to thrive whilst serving a student population with highly complex learning and behavioural needs. In the following paper, the author will examine the history and current interpretation of the SNA scheme and some of the critical issues concerning these employees. The paper will also describe how SNAs are uniquely recruited, deployed, and supported in the author’s setting. Finally, an argument will be made that by addressing the critical issues impacting the current SNA scheme, we can advance the broader cause of inclusion in the Irish education system.
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