AQW 5147/16-21 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education (i) to outline his Department's policy on educational child psychologists; and (ii) to detail how many are employed in each Education Authority region.
Asked by Kellie Armstrong MLA on 12 October 2016
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 12 October 2016
- Answer due by
- 27 October 2016
- Answered
- 26 October 201614 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
There is no policy as such regarding the educational psychology service but the Education Authority (EA) has a statutory duty to maintain an educational psychology service in order to assist in identifying and assessing the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
The numbers of Educational Psychologists employed in each Office (region) of EA, as of 3rd October 2016, are:
| Education Authority Office | Number Employed (full-time and part-time) | Full Time Equivalent Number employed |
| Belfast | 33 | 25.1 |
| North Eastern (Ballymena) | 26 | 22.7 |
| Southern (Armagh) | 37 | 30.8 |
| South Eastern (Dundonald) | 38 | 34.7 |
| Western (Omagh) | 27 | 22.6 |