Madam, - When Teacher's Pet (Oct 25th) commented that it was good to see that "the figures on school drop-out rates were creating a stir" I asked myself, what stir?
Despite the fact that these drop-out figures are a cause of great concern and even a national scandal, we in the teaching profession and particularly teachers in special schools are not wholly surprised.
As chairperson of the principals' group of special schools for pupils assessed as having a mild general learning disability (IQ 50-70) I have great concern for the future school placement of these students.
Before this year, these pupils could avail themselves of limited yet significant resources. Traditionally these resources were available in special schools and special classes. In more recent years these resources came to be available in mainstream schools through the appointment of resource teachers and special needs assistants. In 2005 this cohort of students has "disappeared" into what the Department of Education and Science (DES) describes as the "high incidence category". This has the potential to exclude them from the required and entitled resources. Their "disappearance" will significantly reduce the numbers assessed as having a mild degree of learning disability under the guise of being "included" in the mainstream schoolgoing population. Not alone will these students come to be counted as the "disappeared", they are in danger of also being the "lost".
Lost, that is, until they swell significantly the drop-out rates as reported by the DES in the years to come. - Yours, etc,
LIAM LAWLOR, Principal, Catherine McAuley Special School, Limerick.