THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced 45 new special classes for the 2026/26 school year.

Special classes in mainstream schools offer a supportive learning environment for students with complex needs.

Of the 45 new special classes, five will be inclusive special classes.

Inclusive special classes help students with additional needs to learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also having time during the day to receive extra support in a special class.

Students can move between mainstream classes and special classes depending on what support they need at any time.

Each inclusive special class will receive funding for one teacher (or 1.5 teachers at post‑primary level, two Special Needs Assistants, and extra capitation funding.

The school meanwhile will also receive a €30,000 start‑up grant for furniture and equipment, as well as funding for minor building works or repurposing works, where needed.

A Department spokesperson said inclusive special classes “reflects the demand from schools across the country for more flexible and inclusive ways to support students with additional needs”.

Today’s announcement meanwhile brings the total number of new special classes sanctioned for the upcoming school year to 427, with further approvals expected in the coming weeks.

Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton said today’s announcement “marks another important step in ensuring that every child can access the education that best meets their needs”.

“By expanding both special classes and introducing inclusive special class models, we are strengthening our ability to support students in their local communities while also responding to increasing demand,” added Naughton.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Special Education, Michael Moynihan, remarked that a “key consideration for the long-term is to have as many children as possible attend their local school alongside their siblings and friends”.

“This is why the rollout of inclusive special classes is important for students and families,” said Moynihan.

Inclusive special classes are already operating in a number of schools that have at least one special class and Moynihan said “these have been working well in other schools to date”.

He added that they have “helped ensure children can attend their local school and receive the supports that they need”.

The Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) said it will closely monitor and evaluate the implementation of inclusive special classes. 

A list of the five inclusive special classes can be found below:

A list of the 40 new special classes can be found below: