Sir, – I write to you as the parent of a child with autism, as the principal of a secondary school, and as a member of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD). In your "Schools must not have special needs class veto, says council" (November 18th), Sé Goulding is reported as saying that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) should have legislative authority to compel schools to open special needs classes and that schools should not be given a "veto" against opening such a class.
I trust that Mr Goulding is talking principally of classes for children with autism spectrum disorder as this is where the need mainly lies and makes up the vast majority of the growth figures mentioned in the article. “Veto” is quite a loaded word and suggests that schools are selfishly preventing the inclusion of children with special educational needs in their schools. I wonder if the NCSE has considered that some of these schools may see themselves as actually acting in the best interests of children with autism spectrum disorder and other special educational needs requiring specialist interventions.
These schools may be concerned about the lack of skill sets among their staff around autism spectrum disorder and special educational needs interventions; about the lack of occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and other supports these students might need; about the poor physical infrastructure their school can offer the students; about the lack of policy and guidance from the Department of Education and the NCSE around the education of children with autism spectrum disorder; and around the lack of ongoing support from the department and the NCSE when the class opens. Perhaps the NCSE might consider conducting some research in this area.
Speaking of research, we must remember that it is over two years since then minister for education Ruairí Quinn, on foot of a direction from the Ombudsman for Children, instructed the NCSE to publish a written policy document on the education of children with autism spectrum disorder. This followed a complaint brought to the ombudsman by the parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder. Mr Quinn said that such a document would be helpful for parents and schools. Nearing the end of 2015 no such policy document has yet been published for parents and schools and no publication date has been announced. Is this delay in excess of two years acceptable?
As for Clive Byrne of the NAPD saying that it was “fully supportive” of the NCSE’s work in this area, I really am surprised. I do not recall the NAPD contacting schools to find out what is happening on the ground or to discover the reasons why schools might be reluctant to open classes for students with autism spectrum disorder and other special educational needs. I would have expected it to do this piece of work before an apparently short-sighted rallying to the NCSE’s waving of a dubious “inclusion” standard. Indeed, all students should have the chance to attend school in their community but these schools have to be properly staffed and resourced to make this of any meaningful benefit for all of students. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK McCORMACK,
Donabate, Co Dublin.