Independent Appeals Process Essential for Children with Special Education Needs – Inclusion Ireland

 Inclusion Ireland calls on the Government to provide an independent appeals system for parents who are unhappy with cuts to education resources for their children with special education needs.

Currently, if a parent is unhappy with the decision to have their child’s Special Needs Assistant (SNA) cut or have their hours reduced, the only appeals process is through the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The NCSE employs the Special Education Needs Organiser who will have made the decision to reduce the SNA hours. This is simply an internal appeals procedure and it is not good enough. It is also not good enough that even this very weak process, is only very recent. It was established on February 25th 2010. Prior to that date there was no appeals process at all. Why did the Education Minister and the Government allow for decisions with such severe consequences to be made by a statutory body (the NCSE), without putting in place an appeals process?

The NCSE is currently undertaking a review process of SNAs, which is due to be before the Education Minister at the end of March. Inclusion Ireland is aware of many cases where SNAs have already been cut. These cuts are happening in the middle of school term, a procedure that many school principals say has never happened before. This is a very unsettling and disturbing experience for children with special education needs, as routine and consistency is very important. It is a frightening time for children and their families who do not know what is around the corner. Inclusion Ireland again calls on the Minister to ensure there are no further cuts in this school term.

In February 2009, cuts were made to special classes for children with a mild general learning disability in mainstream schools. We now have cuts to Special Needs Assistants. This is happening at the same time as class sizes in mainstream schools are growing. Inclusion Ireland is aware of many adults with a mild intellectual disability who were failed by the school system and are now without jobs, education or support from disability services. Are we setting up this group of school children to face the same future?

ENDS

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