'Catch-all' special schools will leave some children with nowhere to go

Principals of special schools said children with complex needs deserve the support they need. Picture: Ben Birchall

The creation of “catch-all” special schools would leave some children with “nowhere to go” and take away the one place they feel “supported, understood and safe”, an oireachtas committee has heard.

The education committee invited in principals of special schools on Thursday, who say they face pressure from the Department of Education to change their schools’ designation to include children with “complex needs”.

They say this would mean children in their schools with mild general learning disabilities would be phased out and end up in inappropriate mainstream classes.

While they said children with complex needs deserve the support they need, this shouldn’t be done in a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” situation at the expense of other children who need supports.

Debbie O’Neill, principal of Scoil Eoin in Crumlin in Dublin, read out a letter written by a parent of a 14-year-old child in her school with a mild general learning disability, whose name was given as Aoife to protect her anonymity.

“The plan to redesignate this school would leave children like her with nowhere to go,” the parent said. 

“Mainstream schools cannot give Aoife what she has at school. Here, she plays soccer without being laughed at. She sings loudly in choir off-key and no one minds.”

At Scoil Eoin, Aoife is not falling behind. She is seen for who she is.

“She is confident, she is happy. That wasn’t always the case in mainstream school. She cried every day. She called herself stupid because she couldn’t keep up.

“Mainstream schools do not have the resources or expertise to support children like her, and the cost will be high: her mental health, her confidence, her future,” the parent said.

“Scoil Eoin didn't just educate Aoife, it saved her. It gave her a sense of self-worth and belonging. Please don't take that away.” 

Ms O’Neill said to force a school to expand its offering would “dilute the whole spectrum of provision that is on offer”, and that they should be able to retain a system that is already working for the children it teaches.

She said: “But make no mistake, if re-designation happens, the children we have at the moment, while they will not be forced back into mainstream, those children that we are yet to meet most definitely will.” 

Meanwhile, the principal of Catherine McAuley National School in Limerick, Greg Browne, told the committee that schools like his cater for the largest cohort of students in education with a disability, as between 5-7% of the population has a mild general learning disability.

Restrictions in admission policies

He said a new Department of Education circular proposes to restrict the role of the board of management of a school in its own admissions in a manner no other sector in education would allow.

“Our own system at present has its proper checks and balances in relation to admissions,” Mr Browne said.

 “Parents approach us, often in desperation seeking our help.

“Were our schools to be forced to change their designation, the immediate problem of a lack of places for pupils with complex needs would be replaced by a greater problem of increased school drop-out and expulsions.

“We ask simply to be allowed to continue the good work we have been doing for those pupils whose disability is not as evident as others but every bit as real.”