Teachers to take protest to Leinster House

The INTO is organising a protest against cuts to teaching hours for children with special needs.

Yesterday, the National Council for Special Education announced the cut - saying that a 10% increase in the number of children with special needs, means an adjustment of 25% on 2011 levels was necessary.

This September, a child with special needs that would have previously received one hour of extra teaching support - will now receive 45 minutes.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation is calling on parents and teachers to protest at Leinster House on Wednesday.

Carol Lennon, from Mornington in Co Meath, who has five children with special needs, said that will be forced to take them out of mainstream schools as a result of this decision.

"I wanted them to have a mainstream education because I believe that they can achieve in mainstream," she said.

"I feel like I've been left with no choice. Specifically for the older one, he's 11, I don't think he's going to survive, I think he's going to struggle.

"And it's not necessarily academically - it's socially and emotionally. He's already depressed at 11."