Special needs and private schools

Sir, – According to "Several private schools in south Dublin plan to enrol students with special needs for first time" (News, March 23rd), "The department's policy of not funding special classes for private schools has been a significant barrier for students with additional needs in the south Dublin area where there is a high concentration of fee-charging schools."

It’s a real conundrum. The same policy of giving less funding to private schools in general has nonetheless enabled these schools to apparently achieve huge academic success. Indeed it has allowed many of them to build wonderful facilities that include swimming pools and floodlit pitches. Perhaps the Department of Education should give even less? – Yours, etc,

SEAN KEAVNEY,

Dublin 15.