The Dáil goes into recess tomorrow just as a new school places crisis is brewing, with at least 260 children left without appropriate school places for September. Parents are sceptical about government plans to increase the pupil : teacher ratio in special classes and don’t trust government promises of more SNAs.
Rachel Martin of Equality in Education said “A renewed special education school places crisis is approaching but the Minister has not answered repeated questions about how many children are without appropriate school places”.
“However, information from the Minister implies that at least 260 children do not have appropriate school places for the new school term from September. Some of the children have no place and no offer of a place. A large number of children have an offer but no place in September because building works or modular buildings haven’t been completed or delivered and no clear time frames for completions or deliveries have been provided”.
“There are also children whose parents were persuaded into taking places in inappropriate mainstream settings, but where they have since been left without the resources they were promised by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE)”.
People Before Profit Councillor and Dublin North West Equality in Education co-founder, Conor Reddy said “The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is using Section 67 of the Education Act inappropriately to reduce waiting list numbers by instructing schools to expand some special classes to accommodate eight or more children instead of the standard class size of six children”.
“Parents fear that the increase in pupil numbers in special classes from six to eight, or even more, will lead to a drop in teaching standards. Parents are also sceptical about government promises of extra SNAs. The additional 1,600 SNAs announced by the government in last year’s budget have already been allocated to new classes and schools”.
“Parents want more than vague promises. Understandably many parents have taken legal action to have their children’s rights vindicated and it has become clear that the NCSE is responding to the legal actions by prioritising the allocation of places to those taking legal action”.
“All parents want specific allocations of resources, including SNAs, to ensure the school places and supports required are in place so every child has an appropriate school place at the start of September”.
Deputy Paul Murphy said “The Dáil goes into recess tomorrow and will not sit again until 17th September, several weeks into the new school year. It appears that over 260 children will not have appropriate places when the new school term starts in September. It is simply unacceptable that a renewed school place crisis is brewing for late August and early September and the Dáil won’t even be sitting as the crisis hits home for hundreds of families”.
“I raised this matter with the Taoiseach at Leaders' Questions in the Dáil this afternoon and asked him a number of important questions;
Will all the over 3,000 children registered with the NCSE get the appropriate supports they need?
Some of them have been allocated places by the NCSE instructing schools to expand special classes to accommodate eight or more children instead of the standard class size of six children. Parents are being promised that more Special Needs Assistants (SNA) will be allocated to the expanded classes to provide the extra supports needed. But will those SNAs be allocated?
Will the 260 children currently without places all have school places by the start of the next school year? Or will they be forced to turn up outside the Dáil again before we are back?"
"Unfortunately in response the Taoiseach engaged in his customary evasion and distraction and left parents with no confidence that the government will do what is urgently needed. Parents won’t get a holiday from the desperate search for a school place for their child. The government must allocate the school places, the resources and the supports required to guarantee that every child has an appropriate school place from the start of September”.