Year delay to respond to teaching concerns

The Department of Education took more than a year to properly follow up concerns about some children with Down’s syndrome being excluded from guaranteed resource teaching hours.

An investigation by Children’s ombudsman Emily Logan found the significant delay by the department taking any substantive action was contrary to fair and sound administration. Similar findings were made about the department’s failure to set timeframes for a three-year review of how more common special needs are catered for, and for not monitoring the progress of children with Down’s syndrome under that system or how well it met their special needs.

Ms Logan found that all three failings adversely affected children with Down’s syndrome. She said they unduly delayed steps to address the impact of the cluster of disabilities associated with the syndrome on their fullest possible educational inclusion.