Ireland Department of Education has launched investigations of at least fifty (50) cases, whereby schools have been accused of utilizing special needs teachers in tutoring mainstream classes.
Notably, a clear guideline exists, and it necessitates special needs and resource teachers to help and tutor needy or vulnerable learners only.
Special needs teachers being used to fill gaps
Campaigners and parents in Ireland, have acknowledged the fact that special needs teachers are usually used in filling gaps witnessed in mainstream classes.
This trend may seem helpful, but it is damaging as vulnerable learners are deprived of crucial classroom support.
According to Adam Harris, the chief executive of AsIAm an autism support group, it is a worrying trend to witness many special needs teachers being given additional tasks at the expense of needy learners.
Some school principals and teachers have stipulated that, at times, they are forced by circumstances to use special needs teachers in tutoring mainstream because of under-funding and teacher shortages.
Inappropriate use of special needs teachers alarming
Ireland Department of Education has proclaimed that it has attained eighty-eight (88) cases of potential misuse of special needs teachers both in secondary and primary schools.
This trend has been witnessed since 2017 and the discoveries made have been prompted by regular school inspections.
The department asserted that it had written to seventy-one (71) and seventeen (17) secondary schools necessitating them to review the provision and role of special needs teachers.
This investigation was instrumental in showing that thirty-four (34) of the eighty-eight (88) schools had stipulated that they adhered to the tasks undertaken by special needs teachers.
Across the globe, the shortage of teachers is an issue that is compromising productivity in the education sector. For instance, it has been proclaimed that many states in the US are worried about the teacher shortage in the nation.
Expressly, special needs teachers at a rarity right now for the community at Shelby County, Alabama. This has, therefore, proved to be a severe problem for this community.
