Special education plan criticised

A Sinn Féin motion has been tabled in the Dáil.

Local Sinn Féin TD Pauline Tully has called on local respresentatives to support the party's motion which would ensure all children have an appropriate school place this September.

The motion, introduced in the Dáil last night, was brought forward by ther party's education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD.

It calls on government to publish the data on the "true number of children without an appropriate school place for September". It says this would give a clear statement that the "segregationist proposal" of special education centres will not go ahead, and to bring forward emergency legislation to expedite the section 37A process and ensure all children have an appropriate school place within a school community.

The special education centres were proposed by government to help alleviate pressure for school places for children with special edicational needs. However, the move has been met with criticism from some parents and respresenational groups.

Deputy Pauline Tully says all children have a right to go to school:

“It is an all too common situation that families of children with special educational needs face a summer of stress, not knowing whether their child will have a school to go to in September.

“There are no excuses for the failures of Minister Foley and Minister of State Madigan to make adequate preparations to ensure every child had an appropriate school place. They were warned - by parents, by disability advocacy groups, by Sinn Féin and others."

She says the Ministers have access to data showing the number of children in need of a school place in September and they also have the funding and power to put in place measures to alleviate the issues.

"Their failure to act is inexcusable", she said.

Describing the current proposal as "half-baked" she said it effectively "segregates" children into special education centres.