The Future of Education

The education provision for students with special educational needs has undergone significant national and international changes in recent years. In particular, a focus on inclusive education has resulted in a significant increase in the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme in Ireland; a scheme aimed at supporting inclusive practices for pupils with significant care needs. This paper seeks to critically reflect on the current status of the Irish SNA scheme, with reference to international literature and comparable international models of paraprofessional support. This paper is informed by cutting edge applied research in the field, as conducted by the author in an Irish context  (Griffin, 2018). Such research comprised a large scale SNA survey (n = 814), systematic classroom observations and case studies conducted across 20 mainstream class contexts. The study’s research design was modelled on that employed in Strand 2 Wave 1 of the internationally renowned ‘Deployment and Impact of Support Staff’ project (Blatchford et al., 2008), as conducted in the United Kingdom. In particular, the research aimed to obtain a detailed and integrated account of the preparedness and deployment of SNAs when supporting pupils’ behavioural care needs and developing pupils’ independence within mainstream primary school classrooms. Based on a selection of research findings, this paper seeks to focus on both the strengths and limitations of SNA support for individual pupils, with key data drawn from systematic observations and primary stakeholders in the field. In particular, the tensions between supporting pupils’ primary care needs and fostering pupils’ independence will be critiqued, in light of the research. Stemming from such findings, the potential role of educational psychology to inform and support evidence-based best practices within classrooms is emphasised. This research serves to extend the limited data-set on SNAs in mainstream schools in Ireland and addresses the dearth of national and international research on the role of paraprofessionals in educational contexts.

Keywords: ‘Special Needs Assistant’; paraprofessional; inclusive education; independence; care; 

References: 
[1] Griffin, C. (2018). Fostering independence through care? A study of the preparedness and deployment of Special Needs Assistants when supporting pupils’ behavioural care needs and independence development in mainstream primary schools in Ireland (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University College London, London, United Kingdom.
[2] Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Martin, C., Russel, A., Webster, R., . . . Haywood, N. (2008). Deployment and impact of support staff in schools and the impact of the national agreement: Results from strand 2 wave 1 - 2005/06. Institute of Education: University of London.