Exploring special educational needs prevalence in Irish-medium post-Primary schools

Understanding the prevalence and types of special educational needs (SEN) that present in schools is important to ensure that appropriate resources are available to meet the needs of all students. This study investigated the prevalence and types of SEN in Irish immersion (IM) post-primary schools, in the Republic of Ireland. A questionnaire was completed by 38% (n = 29) of schools, with an enrolment of 53% (n = 8,406) of the IM post-primary school population. The questionnaire identified the changes that have occurred in the prevalence and types of SEN in these schools over the past 20 years. The findings presented discuss the prevalence rate of SEN in these schools for the academic school year 2023/2024, the types of SEN in these schools and their distribution by class groupings. The key findings of the research show that there has been a significant increase in the prevalence rate over the last 20 years. This increase is significant and noteworthy of discussion since bilingualism and immersion education are often deemed unsuitable for students with SEN.