Buddy Bear Conductive Education Centre (Hansard, 22 January 1996)

§ Mr. Mallon
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that the Department of Education endorses all statements from education boards, placing children in the Buddy Bear conductive education centre. [9931]

§ Mr. Ancram
Under article 31(3) of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986, a proposal by an education and library board to arrange for the special educational provision for a child to be made otherwise than at a grant-aided school is subject to the approval of my Department. My Department considers each proposal made under this legislation on its merits, taking into account the professional advice, parental representations, proposed costs and any other circumstances relevant to each case. There are, however, proposals currently before Parliament to change this legislation: under these proposals, my Department's approval role in individual placements would be replaced by a power to approve institutions other than grant-aided schools as suitable for the placement by boards of children with special educational needs.

§ Mr. Mallon
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when a statement will be approved, and appropriate fees and costs authorised, by the Department of Education for Anna Marie Treanor and Daniel Murphy, currently attending the Buddy Bear conductive education centre in Dungannon. [9932]

§ Mr. Ancram
The two proposals referred to, which have been made by the Southern education and library board, are still under consideration. These have been submitted to my Department in the form of a proposed pilot scheme and further information is being sought from the board about the scheme, including its proposed structure, costs and duration.

§ Mr. Mallon
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the educational statement issued by the North Eastern education and library board for James Agnew was approved by his Department; and from what date the fees and transport costs of his placement at the Buddy Bear conductive education centre in Dungannon will be paid. [9933]

§ Mr. Ancram
The proposal made by the North-Eastern board to place this child in the Buddy Bear school was approved by my Department on 20 November 1995. I understand that the board will be meeting the associated fees and transport costs with effect from May 1995, when the school received final registration as an independent school.

§ Mr. Mallon
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the pilot conductive education project proposed by the Department of Education, with particular reference to(a) the date when the proposal was completed, (b) the reasons for abandoning the proposal and (c) the reasons for questioning the basis of the pilot proposal presented by the Southern education and library board. [9934]

§ Mr. Ancram
My Department has not proposed a pilot conductive education project. A pilot project was the subject of discussions between my Department and the North-Eastern education and library board in 1992, and50W subsequently discussions about possible pilots took place with the Southern education and library board and the Buddy Bear trust. It was however decided in April 1994 not to proceed with a pilot project. In coming to this decision, particular regard was had to resource considerations and the potential value of the pilot projects in the form proposed in the light of the findings of a Government-funded research project carried out at the Birmingham Institute for Conductive Education which became available during the course of 1993.
The Southern board has recently sought approval to place two children with special educational needs at the Buddy Bear school in Dungannon for a four-term pilot scheme, but no information was given as to the nature of the proposed pilot. In order to form a view on the value for money which would be obtained from the significant additional expenditure which would be incurred through the proposed pilot, my Department therefore sought further information from the board as to the nature, objectives and operation of the proposed pilot, and its relationship to another pilot which I understand the board has also been considering at one of its own special schools. Some information has been provided, and discussions with the board are ongoing.