Make Budget 2025 an inclusive education budget, says charity CEO

Inclusion Ireland CEO Derval McDonagh: 'We know that TDs and senators hear these stories every day.' Picture: Karl Hussey Photography 2022

Children are struggling to get the supports they need in school, while families have to fight to get access to what should be basic rights for their child, according to Inclusion Ireland.

The organisation, which advocates for people with intellectual disabilities, has published its pre  budget submission, which is calling on the Government to “make children with intellectual disabilities matter”.

Prior to drawing up the submission, the organisation conducted a survey of 859 people who either have an intellectual disability or support someone who has.

The survey found that:

• Only 6% of parents believe that schools are given every resource they need to support their child;

• While almost 90% of parents said their child has a school place this coming September, 29% said that the place is not suitable for their child. Many children are still travelling long distances to school away from their communities;

• 76% of parents said that the voice of their child is not heard or is only sometimes heard at school;

• 77% said that last year’s budget announcement made no difference to the barriers experienced by some children in school.

Inclusion Ireland CEO Derval McDonagh said: “The results are stark and paint a picture of children struggling in our schools to get the support they need, with families fighting to get access to what should be basic rights for their child. 

"We know that TDs and senators hear these stories every day too — it is beyond time to address those real concerns meaningfully.” 

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Inclusion Ireland is now calling on the Government to deliver a specific budget to develop a six-year  inclusive education strategic plan, with cross-party support and the contribution of disabled children, disabled persons' organisations, and advocacy organisations at the centre.

The organisation has highlighted a number of key areas to be tackled, including the development of a model for disaggregated data on the experience of disabled children in school. Inclusion Ireland says there is currently no data available on outcomes for children with disabilities.

Teacher training

It is also calling for rights and relationship-based training for teachers at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and for experienced teachers to help improve the experiences of children and young people with intellectual disabilities in education. Inclusion Ireland also wants a significant investment in the further rollout of the National Council for Special Education in-school pilot of therapeutic supports for disabled children.

Ms McDonagh said: “We need to make Budget 2025 an inclusive education budget, because children all over Ireland are experiencing the greatest injustice of our time right now in Ireland, and they are not listened to. 

"Ultimately, we all want our children to leave school feeling good about themselves, confident, unique, and ready to achieve their dreams and potential. An inclusive education will give them that chance, but only if the right resources in the right places are allocated and a whole-of-Government, collaborative approach is taken. This approach must involve children as the most important stakeholder.

“We have to work towards a system in which all children get to go to their local school with their siblings and peers, with the support they need to thrive and flourish. 

"Investing in inclusion in the early years is not just the right thing for Government to do, but can also help alleviate some of the barriers people with an intellectual disability tell us they face later on in life — low employment rates, living in poverty, limited independent living options.”