IPPN

Press Statement
IPPN
27th March 2007


5,000 primary school children to lose access to psychological service.

The National Education Psychological Service (NEPS) has informed some 29 Dublin schools, at short notice and without explanation, that they are to be removed from their service. 5348 children are instead to be dealt with by a commissioning service - the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments. This is part of a "reordering" of school coverage in Co. Dublin and Co. Wicklow.

Despite commitments to expanding the NEPS service, over 5,000 children in these schools have now suffered a removal of existing service.

NEPS provide a psychological service to schools and, in addition to doing initial assessments for children with learning and behavioural difficulties, also provides an ongoing advice and support service for schools. The commissioning service instead provides funding for schools to get private assessments done. However, this does not deal with ongoing help, advice or support for children or schools. The funding allowed is, in some cases, not sufficient to pay for an assessment. Many school principals have found that psychologists are reluctant to undertake work under the terms of this commissioning scheme.
"It can be difficult to get a private appointment for a child to be assessed. Many of the psychologists on the approved list are booked up for months and years." said one principal.

Sean Cottrell, Director of IPPN (the Irish Primary Principals Network) said:
"It is astonishing to think that with all the attention being paid to the special education needs of children in our schools and an ongoing commitment to expanding the NEPS service, that over 5,000 children in these schools have had this service withdrawn. Instead of getting an increased and enhanced service, these children are being put back to the bottom of the list. School principals had an expectation that service would improve and increase - not be taken away. Switching services around from one school to another cannot be portrayed as an expansion - this is simply optics, like the Puffer Fish, who inflates itself to appear much larger than it really is so as to deter attackers. Schools, principals, teachers and children have nothing but praise for the NEPS service. The only criticism is that they want more service, not less. Going from a situation where you are included in the service and then to have it taken away seems cruel and unusual for these children and their families."

Ends