Visually impaired Rosalie, 12, has visiting teacher service withdrawn

TWELVE-year-old Rosalie Fleming doesn’t understand why the minister has taken her visiting teacher service away.

It is really terrible, she says, because “the Government is always doing bad things to Mayo”.

Rosalie, who has congenital cataracts, micropthalmus (a defect of the optic nerve) and glaucoma, certainly has a valid point.

From Aglish, just outside Castlebar, Co Mayo, Rosalie is one of more than 50 visually-impaired students across the county who no longer receives the service of a specially trained teacher — like children in other counties do.

Rosalie is in sixth class at Breaffy National School, and while the teachers there are absolutely supportive in every way they can, they are not trained to deal with visually-impaired children.

School principal Seoirse O Morain said staff were shocked by a letter received in early October, informing the school that “due to growing pressure, the department is no longer in a position to continue this restricted service”.

Previously an already limited service, whereby a visiting teacher travelled from Dublin, was in place.

The situation was temporary, until the department found a replacement.

None was found, and according to Elaine Howley, director of services at the National Council of the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), the position is not advertised — and never has been.

Helena Melbourne, Mayo’s social and rehabilitation worker for the NCBI, says the service was “totally useless” anyway.

“We had a meeting last week and every parent concerned attended,” she said.

“We did some research, and found that some children only saw the teacher twice in a full year,” she said.

“In all my years with the NCBI, Mayo has never had a visiting teacher resident in the county. We will not take this lying down.”

Ms Melbourne said parents were seeking a meeting with the directorate of regional services, and the minister himself.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said he will be asking parliamentary questions about the situation.

“We are disgusted that children in Mayo are being discriminated against like this,” said Ms Melbourne.

“As I understand it, the service, as it had previously been, may be reinstated.

“That’s not good enough.

We are demanding a visiting teacher specifically for Mayo,” she said.

“Unfortunately though, we are small fry in everything that is going on.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Education is, bizarrely, offering the services of a visiting teacher by telephone.

“This situation, if it were to continue for any longer than a very short period of time would be unacceptable,” said Ms Howley.

“The NCBI is seeking clarification from the department regarding its plans, but so far we have not received any reply.”

School principal Mr O Morain is also very concerned for another pupil at the school — and indeed all of his pupils come next year.

“We have another girl here, a newcomer, who is also visually impaired. She is losing out on all sides,” he said.

“She will not have the teacher to help with her sight. Nor will she have the same support to help with integration and English language, and she will be part of a bigger class.”

“The teachers are very frustrated. They are committed to quality education, and integration of all students. They dedicate their free time voluntarily to doing sports with the children after school,” he said.

So when they see essential services, such as the visiting teacher being practically withdrawn, they are aware it has to impact on the quality of teaching and learning, in spite of their best efforts.”