Special-needs school chief urges Government to curb disputes

THE head of services at a Dublin special-needs school, where nurses and teachers are engaged in a power struggle, has urged the Government to draw up protocols to prevent similar disputes elsewhere.

Walter Freyne, director of services at St Vincent’s School, Navan Road, said the Government had been warned last March that special-needs schools could not operate under the same rules as mainstream schools.

“At a conference of 58 organisations representing the mentally handicapped, the Government’s representatives were told that clear direction was needed on how to embrace and deal with the diverse needs of children attending these schools, many of whom are profoundly mentally handicapped.

“So far the Government has done nothing. We cannot be expected to operate under the Education Act in the same manner as mainstream schools. We need protocols. Without them, you get disputes like this one and I have had calls from CEOs of organisations who are experiencing similar problems, they just haven’t erupted yet.”

The problems at St Vincent’s Developmental Education Centre (DEC) erupted when the 34 children attending returned to school in September. Nursing posts had gone from seven full-time staff to one full-time nurse and one job-sharer. There are six teachers and 12 teachers’ classroom assistants. Parents and nursing representatives claim that health personnel left because an education agenda replaced the children’s healthcare needs at the school. Mr Freyne said operating the DEC as a normal school service meant children were only able to attend for 183 days in the year, spending the rest of the time at home with stressed-out families.

“It also means the DEC closes for up to 19 days during the school year (training days, bank holidays) and the balance of staff are provided by education. This means a reduced health staff cannot keep the school going by themselves outside the normal school year because of the very high support needs of these children.”

Mr Freyne said Education Minister Noel Dempsey needed to give clear direction as to how schools such as St Vincent’s DEC were supposed to function on the ground. Mr Dempsey has appointed two experts to mediate in the St Vincent’s dispute, but Mr Freyne said this was failing to recognise that the issues involved needed to be addressed nationally. NAMHI (National Association for the Mentally Handicapped in Ireland) has backed the call for national protocol. The Irish National Teachers Organisation has also called on the Government to get into round-table talks involving teachers, nurses, parents and all groups involved with the care of the mentally handicapped.

Shay Feehily, secretary of the parents’ support group for children attending the DEC, said they all believed nursing staff should have a priority say in the welfare of their children.

Parents have been holding protests every morning for the past three weeks to highlight their concerns. Irish Nurses Organisation representatives yesterday supported an afternoon protest on the Navan Road.

The Department of Education declined to comment.