School principals are not qualified to assess the educational needs of students.

That is according to disability advocacy organisation AsIAm, which believes only psychologists should conduct the tests.

The organisation has given a cautious welcome to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) decision to pause the roll-out of the Assessment of Need process.

It would give principals additional responsibilities including paper work, which some argued would be time-consuming.

AsIAm believes the approach is flawed as it would require principals or teachers to carry out this assessment, despite their lack of qualifications.

Speaking to Newstalk AsIAm Chief Executive Adam Harris said that the right professional needs to be found.

"It's really a question of who has the qualifications."

"We already look at what the Department, the NCSE, identify in that regard. In many areas they require a psychologist or an educational psychologist to carry out this assessment", he said.

"So I think that what's clear is to have a teacher carry it out would contradict that."

Roll out

The government halted the national roll-out of the school-based education assessments for children with additional needs following concerns among unions, campaigners and principals themselves.

"It's very clear that principals don't think they're qualified to do that, and we would agree with that from an advocacy perspective", Mr Harris said.

"Furthermore, I think it's important that principals have a role in allocating resources within schools, and therefore they're not independently able to assess what individual need the child."

"They are both giving the resources and identifying what needs the child would have."