Apart from assessing pupils, educational psychologists help teachers to deal with problems such as bullying, advise them on teaching pupils with special needs and maintain liaison with health boards and other agencies.
The service has been constrained by the relatively small number of educational psychologists at its disposal. In the 1998-99 school year, the department had 44 psychologists working with primary and second-level schools. These assessed more than 2,500 pupils at both levels.
A departmental report published last year, however, estimated that about 11 per cent of pupils needed the services of an educational psychologist during their school careers. This suggests that nearly 90,000 pupils would benefit from the service; even if each only needed the service once at primary and second-level school, this would average out at more than 8,000 pupils a year.
These include pupils with a physical, sensory, intellectual or emotional disability; a mild or specific learning disability; and emotional or behavioural disorders.
Last year, 1,714 primary and 802 second-level pupils had individual psychological assessments. This year, 50 extra psychologists are being recruited by the National Educational Psychological Service Agency, and the Minister has predicted that 2,000 primary and 1,000 second-level students will have individual assessments.
The increase is small because recruitment will be taking place throughout the year, so that the extra psychologists will not be available for the full period.
An interim solution to the needs of schools which have no service is being sought by a committee made up of representatives of the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children and the health boards. Possibilities include asking the health boards to continue providing a service to schools in urgent need.
It is understood that independent organisations working in the mental health or learning disabilities field may also be asked to carry out assessments.