Mother of child with Down syndrome had to move homes to be near school with special class

Dr Fidelma Brady, head of education with Down Syndrome Ireland, told the committee how children with Down syndrome are currently 'invisible' in policy making, official data, and decision making when it comes to education. File photo

The education system must “stop limping from crisis to crisis or taking a piecemeal approach” towards becoming inclusive for all students, the Oireachtas education committee has heard.

It comes as one mother had to move homes as her child was travelling two and a half hours each way to access school every day.

Dr Fidelma Brady, head of education with Down Syndrome Ireland, told the committee how children with Down syndrome are currently “invisible” in policy making, official data, and decision making when it comes to education.

It has members who maybe cannot cope in mainstream education and who would benefit from accessing a special class for literacy and numeracy, she said.

However, the vast majority of special classes opened in recent years are for autistic students and require an autism diagnosis to access.

“There are other children with other intellectual disabilities, with other disabilities that are not autism, that would still benefit from a special class in their local area,” Ms Brady said.

“I've had one mother who has had to move house because her child was driving two and a half hours each way every day to gain access to a special class.”

“We need a balance of special class provision delivered nationally. It needs to be a needs-based education system...not just policy-driven,” she said.

“It needs to be a needs-led approach, and it needs to ensure equitable access for all students.”

Inclusive education system

Autism charity AsIAm told the committee that there are still children right across Ireland who do not know where they will go to school come September.

“We must stop limping from crisis to crisis or taking a piecemeal approach to our vision for an inclusive education system,” said AsIAm chief executive Adam Harris.

“Ireland has already developed numerous policy reviews, roadmaps, frameworks and legislative proposals,” he added.

“We now must get on with the business of implementation today and strategic planning and decision-making for tomorrow and over the longer term.” 

Advocate and social care student, Emily McPhillips Sheridan, told the committee that too often decisions about autism classes and cuts to special needs assistant (SNA) access are made without input from the people who are directly affected. 

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"Lived experience should be valued, respected, given the time to be heard and listened to," she said. 

Inclusion Ireland told the committee that every child should be able to access their local school with their siblings and peers with the support they need. It is calling for the introduction of a statutory, costed 'inclusive education plan', chief executive Derval McDonagh said. 

This would "create clear entitlements so that children are not left with an assessment but no meaningful route to support".

It should also place a clear duty on the Government to deliver inclusive education in every school, with time-bound milestones, named responsibilities, and proper cross-departmental co-ordination, she said. 

"Schools cannot be inclusive in practice if communication supports, assistive technology, therapies, or other essential supports remain too difficult to access," she added.