24th March 2010

UN CONVENTION RECOGNISES RIGHT OF PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY TO EDUCATION – BUT GOVT CONTINUES TO WIELD AXE

Ireland must live up to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and recognize the right of people with a disability to an education. Since October 2008 education rights for people with a disability have been seriously rolled back: the much lauded legislation for people with special education needs has been deferred indefinitely (EPSEN Act); education supports such as special needs assistants have been reduced or cut; over 500 children are without special classes in mainstream schools since February 2009; and classes in mainstream schools have grown.

Ireland was among the first countries to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on March 30th 2007. Then Justice Minister Michael McDowell said it would be ratified “as soon as possible”. Three years later we are still waiting.

Article 24 of the Convention says:

“(1) States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity...”

There is growing evidence that education supports for children with special education needs in primary and secondary schools have been reduced and in some cases cut in the last number of months. Inclusion Ireland is aware of many cases where Special Needs Assistants have been cut or reduced in the middle of school term (see below for Al’s case).  In February 2009, cuts were made to special classes for children with a mild general learning disability in mainstream schools. This is happening at the same time as class sizes in mainstream schools are growing. In addition, further education and training opportunities for people with a disability are very limited.

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 today’s school children to face the same future?

ENDS

EVENT: Inclusion Ireland, Amnesty International Ireland and the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Trinity College Dublin are calling on the Government to urgently ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and will hold a joint press conference on this issue on Tuesday 30th March 2010 at 1.30pm in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, D’Olier St., Dublin 2.       

Al:

Al (12) suffered hypoxia at birth, when he was born prematurely.  He also had other complications at the time and was in neo-natal intensive care on a ventilator for several weeks. He had two scans showing a shadow on his brain. He suffered brain damage and the initial prognosis was that he might have no body control. Happily this was not the case. He has epilepsy, which developed when he was 4 years of age when he had several seizures. He receives medicine daily for this.  Despite this he has periods of ‘absences’ where he can blank out of his surroundings.

Al was in a special class in school until last year when as part of the 2009 cuts, his class was abolished. He was integrated into a mainstream school, while others went to special schools.

He has a command of about 15-20 words that he can read or write,

Al is easily confused and gets upset easily. He has severe short-term memory problems. He has reduced hearing in one ear and has problems with hearing high-pitched tones. He can display mobility problems with his balance and perception of distances. Al has a very poor concept of time.

He gets very tired easily. With the aid of his Special Needs Assistant (SNA) he has become less disruptive and increased in his confidence to interact with others, both his peers and adults. This is due to his SNAs hard work with him. He now has a sense of dignity.

Should he lose his SNA, or even more of his SNA hour's, he would become a danger to himself as he could have a seizure at any time and once again become disruptive, and I fear he would become more difficult to control. This would also damage the effectiveness of his teacher in the task of educating others in the classroom.

Despite my initial reservations he has integrated well into mainstream and the school has managed his reduced SNA hours within the best of their ability.

Al did not go to a Special School as we chose to continue the process of integrating him within society in order to help him become a more inclusive and contributing member of society - which would be in thinking with the perceived Government ethos. But should he lose his already reduced SNA hours, then it would probably have to be an option. He would of course qualify for a position. The cost to the State would be more than the perceived savings from reducing SNA’s hours.

-       By Noel, Al's father.

 

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