Special school campaigner 'gobsmacked' son still without place for September

Rebecca Meehan is 'devastated' her son Jay hasn't secured a school place, despite St John’s Special School being granted two new modular classrooms for the upcoming school year.

A mother who spearheaded a campaign to increase places at an over-subscribed special school said she was “devastated” to learn her son is still without a place for September.

Rebecca Meehan said she was “gobsmacked” to learn via WhatsApp that offers for additional places at St John’s Special School in Dungarvan, Waterford, had been sent out on Friday.

Over the past three months, Ms Meehan — whose five-year-old son Jay is autistic and pre-verbal — has been highlighting the need for additional places at the school.

Having previously been so over-subscribed it operated a lottery draw to allocate places, the school was granted two new modular classrooms for the upcoming school year following a campaign hard fought by parents.

“It’s just devastating,” Ms Meehan said. 

It's like déja vu, just earthshaking all over again, that my son has been rejected again and turned away from his education that is his right

She can’t make sense of the decision, she added. “Jay has no school place for September, he has nowhere else to go. We’ve been given no information.” 

St John’s Special School takes students from Dungarvan, West Waterford, Cork, and South Tipperary.

Waiting list

After it saw its applications triple this year, 20 children were placed on a waiting list for places for this September.

As well as numerous appearances in the media, Ms Meehan has organised several protests locally and attended national protests to highlight the lack of special school places in her area.

Last month, she met with education minister Helen McEntee to highlight Jay’s case.

“She shook my hand and told me that my son was going to be in that school in September,” Ms Meehan said.

I’m going to hold her to that promise

Ms Meehan said she has been left with no other option now but to consider taking legal action to ensure her child receives a place.

“I don’t know why they are not willing to help my son, because I’m not stopping until he gets in," she said.

“They are playing God with my son’s education, and his life. This is his life we’re talking about and this is the second time [he’s been rejected.]

 “For 12 weeks I’ve been working tireless at this, and for them to not even reference the parents in their announcement of this. Only for the parents, and me leading this campaign, this wouldn’t be happening. It's just devastating honestly.” 

Rebecca Meehan at the protest in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, for a school place for her son Jay. Picture: Patrick Browne

A spokesperson for St John’s Special School said it does not comment on individual cases. 

In a statement, the spokesperson said the school is now in a position to offer additional places following discussions with officials from the Department of Education, its board of management, and the board of management of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.

As there was no room for further expansion on its present site, the adjourning St Mary’s is to transfer ownership of a part of their school grounds to St John’s. The two schools share a patron, Bishop Alphonus Cullinan.

Modular units

The Department of Education has also agreed to provide two specially designed modular units consisting of two special education classrooms with quiet spaces and a multi-activity area, the spokesperson confirmed.

St John’s is unique as a special school as it offers education to all children with special educational need regardless of diagnosis, the spokesperson added.

The school traditionally had two classes for children with severe/profound intellectual disability and the rest of the classes were for children in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability.

With the addition of the new class spaces, the school is able to go from two to three classes for the severe to profound and add an additional class for children in the mild to moderate range of functioning.

Rebecca Meehan with her son Jay at the protest in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, in February. Local families were calling for more places to be provided to children. Picture: Patrick Browne

“Over the past few days, the principal of the school has been offering places to those next in line on the waitlists for the new school spaces, given that a severe to profound class will be opened together with a mild to moderate class. She will continue to offer places as/if places are declined," the spokesperson said.

The chair of the school’s board of management, John Lawless, said: “This development will somewhat ease the pressure on special education places locally, although I’m conscious that it will not solve the longer-term problem."

This is not just a local problem but it’s the same all around the country. There is an exponential rise in the numbers of children with a diagnosis of special need

 “Without strategic planning and major investment, we will continue to face a crisis. Exasperated parents face a scramble for places every year.” 

The school said it acknowledges “the work of the community at large in gaining momentum behind the expansion project and, in particular, the individuals who brought the crisis of lack of special school places to the fore not just locally but nationally.” 

“It is unfortunate that at the end of this there are still children on the waitlist.”