Independents criticise special needs provisions [IrishTimes]
- Published: 13 July 2011
A COUNTY Kildare school whose number of special needs assistants were cut, asked a parent not to send their child to school because they “couldn’t be accommodated safely in that environment”, Independent TD Catherine Murphy told the Dáil.
“That’s a disgrace,” she said, highlighting the crisis in special needs assistance. “There are things that just have to be safeguarded and that kind of situation just simply can’t be allowed to continue.” Ms Murphy, a TD for Kildare North, said the “voices of parents, teachers, special needs assistants and other resource providers together with experts must all play a part in designing the service”.
She was introducing a Private Members’ debate by Independent TDs, calling for a reversal of the 10 per cent cut in resource hours; the development of a centrally led approach to educational support that included parents as educational partners; the establishment of a system of accreditation so special needs assistants could train and qualify as learning support assistants; and the introduction of an independent appeals process.
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