School inspectors warn special class policies may block access for children with highest needs
Inspectorate said school policies could 'prevent children with the greatest level of need from accessing a place in a special class'.
School inspectors have raised the alarm over “concerning” admission policies that have the power to prevent children with the greatest level of need accessing places in special classes.
The Department of Education’s Inspectorate found issue with almost all admission policies used by a selection of mainstream schools to determine entry to their special classes. It examined the policies of 15 primary and 15 post-primary schools.
It is feared wording and clauses used by many could limit access to education for autistic students, in contravention of their legal rights to an appropriate education.
Some policies required children to be able to participate in mainstream lessons as a condition for admission, while other clauses “reserved the right to withdraw the offer of a place based on a perception of the student’s behaviour".
A number of schools were also found to be prioritising children who were already enrolled in mainstream classes in the school for a place in the special class.
A number of policies also sought to limit enrolment to autistic children with certain levels of cognitive functioning, or to curtail time for students in special classes when compared to their peers in mainstream.
For example, some schools offer a five-year programme for students in special classes, compared to six years for mainstream students.
The inspectorate said the policies could "prevent children with the greatest level of need from accessing a place in a special class".
It was also “evident” some schools “are placing additional demands on parents applying for a place in a special class and, incorrectly, making enrolment contingent on receipt of additional resources”, the report notes.
It found several incidences of schools requiring parents to provide additional reports or documentation at the point of application.
One post primary school included a requirement for a member of its special educational team to conduct "as many observations as appropriate" of the pupils in their educational placement as a condition of enrolment.
Special classes for autistic children are specifically designed for those who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all the school day, the report noted.
"Clauses that require children to be able to participate in mainstream classes before they can enroll in a special class prevents those children who require the special class environment for all of the school day from accessing a place in a special class."
Education Minister Helen McEntee has now written to all of the school patron bodies, asking them to commence a review of admissions policies.
There are currently 3,335 special classes attached to mainstream schools, with another 399 sanctioned by the Department of Education to open in September.
