Group seeks better education facilities for special needs children

AN action group has been set up to seek improved education facilities for children with special needs.

The parents-led group is concerned that some national schools, with small enrolments, could be deprived of special needs assistants (SNAs) and resource teachers who offer support to children with learning difficulties.

The newly-formed West Cork Parents Action Group (WCPAG) will hold its first public meeting on April 21 in the Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway.

Its secretary, Carmel O'Donoghue, said many problems arise for parents after children with special needs enter mainstream schools.

"In their pre-school years, we are fortunate to have the services of CoAction West Cork but when children move into mainstream primary schools, parents are left to fight for the rights of their children.

"There are a lot of children with special needs in west Cork and parents have a right to send them to mainstream schools. Most schools have SNAs and response teachers but children with special needs are very vulnerable. Some of the other children see them as being different because of their learning difficulties and parents are concerned their children could be bullied."

Mrs O'Donoghue said the aim of the group was to provide a forum for parents of special needs children to meet and to discuss issues relating to their children's education. The group also plans to lobby politicians for increased facilities for the education of special needs' children in the region.

The committee of WCPAG will meet on Wednesday next in CoAction House in Dunmanway.

"We invite everyone to attend and we are indebted to local businesses that offered us backing to get off the ground," she said.

Cllr Jim Daly said the response group demonstrated "people power at work."

The Fine Gael councillor said: "I spent years fighting for better services for special needs children as a teacher from within the system. I am delighted to offer my support to this parental movement to get what is a basic right for their children, an education."

He said the setting up of WCPAG allowed parents a hands-on role in demanding better services and a focal point for learning from each other's experiences about the education process.

"I believe it is the single greatest shame of this generation our treatment of the most vulnerable in our schools. The failure to provide improved services is something we can all hang our heads in shame."

He added: "Twenty years ago we were not aware of how to deal with such educational needs. Today, we possess this know-how but lack the will necessary to tackle this issue."