Special needs assistants have criticised school directives, which allegedly require them to complete tasks outside of their job description, such as laying concrete and cleaning fish tanks, in an Oireachtas meeting.
Representatives from the Fórsa trade union met last week to discuss the accreditation of SNAs with Minister of State for Special Education Josepha Madigan.
Linda O’ Sullivan, an SNA present at the meeting, says that these instructions, which were given to members of the Fórsa union, take away from the special needs assistant’s primary role of caring for vulnerable children.
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“Everyone does things to help people but when you ask a cohort of people to do the job of somebody else we take issue. We’re there for the children with additional needs and if we’re doing something like cleaning a fish tank we’re not doing our job,” Linda says.
Linda believes that the lack of accreditation for working SNAs is “driving people out of the profession” and should be addressed within the next 12 months.
The requirement for working SNAs currently stands at three passes in Junior Certificate examinations. While there is a training course available to working SNAS in UCD, the programme has yet to be officially accredited by the Department of Education.
Linda says that the lack of an official qualification for the course, coupled with job insecurity within the profession, leads to a decline in morale amongst SNA staff.
“It’s demeaning, especially when you hear people have had to do inappropriate tasks like the fish tank. We have always been seen by the Department as less than. If you have a cohort with a basic minimum requirement, you are telling SNAs that they are looked down upon,” she reveals.
Fórsa previously put a directive in place during the pandemic that asked its members not to comply with additional hours. Additional hours initially came into effect to allow SNAs to complete additional training and plan activities for children, but Linda argues that these hours risk being abused in some school environments.
The meeting concluded with Minister Madigan promising to review the criteria surrounding SNA qualifications and saying that the directive requiring SNAs to carry out cleaning duties was inappropriate.
Linda says that the pandemic enabled both parents and the wider school community to understand the importance of an SNA’s role.
“Although Covid was a horrible time, it shows just what the job really is. We’re there for the children. We’re hired in schools for that reason. We shouldn’t be asking SNAs to do inappropriate duties when we’re there to look after children that need us the most,” she adds.
The Department of Education stated in response that the accreditation of SNAs is a matter currently being reviewed.
“Raising the minimum qualification for appointment as a special needs assistant has been raised by the FORSA union and has been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission. The Department is engaging in that process,” they confirmed.
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