Disparity in SEN provision in Irish-medium education

Pupils in Irish-medium education (IM) are significantly more likely to have special educational needs (SEN) than their peers in English-medium (EM) settings, but face systemic barriers to receiving appropriate support, according to a report published by Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnG).

The report, published in late 2024, highlights a continued shortfall in provision for pupils with SEN in IM across Northern Ireland. The document identifies a higher incidence of SEN among pupils in the IM sector than in EM settings yet outlines that appropriate support structures remain inadequate.

According to data from the Department of Education for the 2023/2024 academic year, 22.5 per cent of pupils in IM settings are recorded as having SEN. This compares to 19.1 per cent in EM settings. At post-primary level, the discrepancy is more pronounced. While 30.1 per cent of IM pupils are identified with SEN, the equivalent figure for the EM sector is 18.2 per cent.

Despite the higher incidence of need, only 4 per cent of IM pupils have received a formal statement of special educational needs. This contrasts with a rate of 7.6 per cent in EM schools. The report argues that this disparity is partly due to the lack of assessment tools available as Gaeilge and the absence of bilingual specialist personnel within statutory support services.
The report forms part of a wider body of work linked to the SEND Transformation Programme, initiated by the Education Authority in 2021. However, the authors state that IM settings have been excluded from significant developments under the programme, with no tailored provision made for pupils learning through Irish.

IM schools also face physical infrastructure challenges. Many operate in temporary or outdated accommodation that does not meet the needs of pupils with physical or complex learning requirements. Only one IM school outside of Belfast is located in a purpose-built facility. Schools also report a lack of SEN classroom assistants and difficulties in securing supply cover, which affects the ability of staff to access professional development.

One-third of IM schools are located in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland. Consequently, 34 per cent of IM pupils are entitled to free school meals, compared to just over 27 per cent in the EM sector. Research indicates that deprivation is closely linked to a higher incidence of additional educational needs.

Structural and legislative gaps

The legislative framework surrounding SEN provision in Northern Ireland remains in flux. The 2016 SEN Act has only been partially implemented. The new SEN Regulations and Code of Practice remain in draft form, awaiting formal ratification. Although legislation from 1998 contains a brief mention of the Irish language in the context of assessment, the report concludes that current laws do not provide adequate protection or resources for IM pupils.

While the Department of Education has a statutory obligation to encourage and facilitate IM education, the report notes that this has not translated into meaningful policy regarding SEN services. Responses to public consultations by IM schools and sectoral bodies have not been reflected in subsequent drafts of SEN legislation.

Challenges in practice

A range of operational challenges are outlined in the report. Assessment remains a key area of concern. Pupils in IM schools are frequently assessed in English, even though the language of instruction during the early years of schooling is exclusively Irish. In many cases, pupils are not assessed until Primary 4, after they have begun formal English instruction. This inhibits early identification and intervention, which is widely acknowledged to be critical in addressing learning difficulties effectively.

The absence of assessment tools in Irish was first raised in a 1999 Education and Training Inspectorate report and has been repeated in subsequent departmental reviews. A 2012 feasibility study commissioned by the Department of Education recommended against the development of new tools, citing costs and standardisation challenges. The CnG report contests that conclusion and argues for the development of appropriate diagnostic tools for use by both educational psychologists and school staff.

In addition to assessment limitations, the report points to insufficient staffing and resources. There are no dedicated Irish-speaking educational psychologists employed by the Education Authority. Support services for speech and language, literacy, and behavioural needs are typically delivered in English. While a small number of staff are Irish-speaking, there is no formal structure to ensure linguistic alignment between pupils and specialist professionals.

Recommendations

The report makes a series of recommendations. These include the recruitment of Irish-speaking educational psychologists and allied health professionals, the creation of linguistically appropriate assessment tools, and the inclusion of IM staff in the Education Authority’s new local-integrated support teams.

It also proposes that collaborative work be undertaken on an all-island basis to share resources and expertise. The report cites progress made in Wales and Scotland, where immersion education is supported by bilingual assessment and intervention tools, albeit with room for further improvement.

Although the IM sector continues to grow, with primary enrolments rising by 43 per cent and post-primary enrolments by 123 per cent over the last decade, the support structures have not kept pace. Without targeted action, the report concludes that IM pupils with special educational needs will continue to be disadvantaged within the education system.

Committee meeting

Ahead of a meeting of the Assembly’s Education Committee on 15 May 2025, agendaNi understands that officials from the Department of Education were instructed to withdraw part of a departmental briefing paper after it made critical claims about the governance of CnG, the arm’s length body for Irish-medium education.

CnG Chief Executive Maria Thomasson had been due to appear before the Committee to discuss ongoing challenges in Irish-medium education and cited staff retention and educating pupils with SEN as among the top priorities for her organisation.

Responding to a question from the Committee’s deputy chair, Pat Sheehan MLA, Thomasson expressed disappointment at the report’s tone and content, noting that while governance challenges did exist, they were historic and had been acknowledged and addressed transparently.

“We were very disappointed when I read that report,” Thomasson told the Committee. “There are many challenges… that was a historic problem. What I would say is that we have an improvement plan. It is being implemented, and we are tackling those challenges as best we can.”

The document, submitted in advance of the committee session, cited the absence of a current risk register and delays in financial reporting. agendaNi understands that the claims prompted strong criticism within the Department itself, and that CnG raised this directly with the Department’s new interim Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour. The section in question was reportedly withdrawn on the instruction of senior civil servants just days ahead of the Committee meeting.

Despite its removal, the original briefing had already been circulated to committee members, Sheehan questioned officials during the public session, leading to a departmental claim that the material had been included in error and pertained to a separate report. However, this explanation has been met with scepticism by sectoral stakeholders, who view the incident as indicative of deeper tensions between the Department and CnG.

While the sector currently serves almost 8,000 pupils across 44 naíscoileanna (preschools), 32 bunscoileanna (primary school) settings, and five post-primary settings, it receives only limited additional funding, approximately £120 per pupil annually. Around 60 per cent of schools operate from non-permanent buildings, a significantly higher proportion than their English medium counterparts.

The Department of Education has established a working group which aims to publish a formal strategy on Irish Medium Education before the end of the Executive’s term in 2027. The CnG Chief Executive told the committee that this process should be accelerated.

While the Education Minister has made public overtures to the sector, including school visits, the recently published TransformED strategy document contains no reference to Irish medium education.

A Department of Education spokesperson tells agendaNi: “The Department regularly engages with arms-length bodies on governance issues.

“The final briefing to the Education Committee reflected the Department’s view that appropriate governance arrangements are in place at Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta.”