Special needs children directed to other schools

SOME second-level schools are taking an unfair share of children with special needs who are being sent there by neighbouring principals, Education Minister Mary Hanafin claimed yesterday.

She has received complaints from a number of schools which feel they are carrying the burden of helping students with learning difficulties if they display a good record on the issue.

She asked delegates at the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals conference to ask themselves if they are doing enough to include those with special needs.

“It’s an issue in areas where the first school to be inclusive and develop an expertise will then be a subject of positive recommendations from other schools.

“They don’t reject a child or say their school can’t cater for their needs. But they might tell a parent that the school down the road would be much better for their child and some schools are getting more than their fair share,” she said.

She said this is happening in any town with three or four schools and is defeating the purpose of mainstreaming, which is what parents are increasingly seeking for children with special needs.

She reminded principals of increased resources made available to them for students with learning difficulties, through teaching staff and the availability of special educational needs organisers. She also highlighted measures being introduced to ease some of the paperwork principals have claimed is impinging their role as educational leaders.

She responded to the dispute at Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn in Tralee, Co Kerry, where her department’s inspectors are examining complaints about a policy some parents claim is depriving infants of sufficient learning time in English.

“I believe every child in an English-speaking school should be learning Irish in junior infants but children in junior infants in a Gaelscoil should be doing basic literacy in English. All children should have the opportunity of two languages from as early an age as possible,” she said.