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The functions of the Statementing Moderating Panel are to:
1. ensure that the school concerned has done everything it could and should do to meet the needs of the student within the resources already available in the school;
2. gather and analyse written trans-disciplinary assessment reports from various professionals in public or private practice including educational, parental, medical, psychological, social, communicative, vocational, etc.;
3. request assessment bodies and practitioners for additional information, if so required;
4. invite parents, student/parent advocates, and professionals to discuss in more depth issues raised by written assessments presented to the panel;
5. seek active consultation with parents and, when appropriate, the students themselves, as part of the mandatory process in developing a statement;
6. establish the nature and level of educational support needed by the student being statemented in order to ensure a quality education to which they are entitled according to the National Curriculum;
7. submit Statements to the Director General of Education for follow-up action and provision of the indicated educational support;
8. undertake periodic reviews of Statemented students.
9. prepare annual reports for submission to the Minister and to the Director General of Education.
Parents of students who wish to appeal from the decision of the Statementing Moderating Panel can channel their their appeal to the Statementing Appeals Board without having to go through various other channels.
The new policy document stipulates that for every student with a disability an Individualised Educational Programme (IEP) needs to be prepared in consultation with, among others, the class teacher and parents. The document offers two approaches to the preparation of an IEP: an informal school based exercise or a formal Statementing process through an application to the Statementing Moderating Panel. An IEP is a concise and practical written plan, developed for a student with a disability, that describes the modifications and adaptations for a student's educational programme and the services necessary to ensure full access to educational entitlements according to the National Curriculum. The IEP is a primary tool for ensuring equal opportunities, as regards the National Curriculum, for students with special educational needs because of disability. Some students with a disability require small adaptations and minimum levels of support while other students with more complex needs may require detailed planning for educational modifications, adaptive technologies, or health care plans. The IEP ensures that, whatever the level of support required, each school is to ensure that the student's needs are taken into serious consideration.
The new policy is very ambitious in nature and scope. However, its effective implementation depends on a number of key factors. These include:
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professional training for school senior management teams that would enable them to embrace the notion of inclusion and to incorporate measures in the School Development Plan;
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a phased implementation plan that corresponds to the five-year implementation period of the National Curriculum;
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training for school personnel to prepare Individualised Educational Programmes (IEP) at school level;
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the training of educators for the role of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCOs). SENCOs would co-ordinate the provision of classroom support for students with a disability and assist schools to develop the capability of IEP preparation and review;
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adequate technical support to facilitators and other categories of personnel who provide shared or one-to-one classroom support to such students to enable them to effectively access the curriculum.
The role of NGOs in the Statementing process has changed. Whereas previously one NGO was represented on the Statementing Board as a member, the new Statementing Moderating Panel does not include representatives of NGOs. NGOs are now required to present, with parents' consent, copies of diagnostic assessments of students who are in the process of being statemented. Should further clarification be required by the Statementing Moderating panel, NGOs will be invited to send a representative involved in the assessment of students to hold discussions with it.
Parents and school personnel now have an integral part to play in the statementing process since they will be consulted by the Statementing Moderating Panel during its deliberations. Parents have often complained about their exclusion from the statementing process.
Moreover, to ensure that students do not suffer unduly through statementing delays, two Statementing Moderating Panels have been set up chaired by the same person and assisted by the same secretary. This measure will ensure frequent meetings to effectively and efficiently process applications.
The Division of Education is currently adopting a multi-pronged approach to the implementation of the policy document. It is ensuring that all categories of personnel who support students with a disability at the classroom level follow a tailor-made University course leading to a Certificate in facilitating Inclusive Education. It is providing personnel to stand-in for facilitators who are sick or on emergency leave of absence to ensure that students with a disability are not forced to remain at home. It has introduced a transition programme for students with a disability who are moving from primary to secondary education and from secondary to post-secondary opportunities. The Division of Education is planning courses of training for all levels of personnel in special schools and is offering distance learning opportunities for a number of personnel who are interested in pursuing courses of studies in a specific area of special educational needs.
The Division of Education currently employs over 450 classroom support personnel; 72 of these support students at secondary level of education. The personnel are rendering service to over 550 students over 400 of which are in primary education.
Statementing
Moderating Panel
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