IPPN

Published: 16 February 2009

Source: Evening Herald

By: Geraldine Gittens

Monday February 16 2009

A MUM says her special needs child will suffer as educational cutbacks mean she will be moved into a mainstream class way above her standards.

Gillian Fitzpatrick, from Raheny, Dublin, is urging Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe to get the cutbacks reversed.

"My eight-year-old child Emma has had psychological assessments done, and she has the reading and writing capability of a four-year-old child," Gillian told the Herald.

Dyslexia

Emma who shows signs of ADHD, ADD, and dyslexia came on leaps and bounds after she was admitted to the special needs class in St Eithne's National School, Edenmore, 18 months ago, said her mother.

However, St Eithne's will lose its special needs class of eight pupils this June, since the minimum requirement for such a class is nine.

Emma has to be taught basic life skills, such as going to the shops and crossing the road, and Gillian fears she will fall behind if she is put into third class next September.

"I've an educational report saying that Emma wasn't coping in a mainstream school," says Gillian.

"She's come on immensely since she started the class a year and a half ago. She's started to learn spellings of words with two or three letters in them, and her behaviour has improved as well. She absolutely loves it. The teacher and assistants are brilliant with her.

"She's hysterical if she goes into somewhere new. I won't even let her play out front when she's at home."

Gillian says there are now no alternative schools she can turn to, to give Emma the attention she needs.

"There are no places available in the special needs school nearby, and she'd be put on a two year waiting list to get in there."

"She's first class standard at the moment and they're putting her in third class. The gap is huge."

Emma's teacher Eimear Heffernan said: "Any positive changes that have happened will be reversed in a matter of months. They're taking away any future these children have, and it's as serious as that."

"There's been a complete change in Emma," she added. "She used to be disruptive and push other children when she doesn't mean it."

The school's vice principal Janet Lynch said: "Morale is very low in the school now. It's going back to the last century where students will be left at the back of the class to sit quietly."

Support

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minister Batt O' Keefe said he could not comment on individual classes and schools but he added: "The schools have the resources under the general allocation model to support these pupils."

"All primary schools have been given resources to cater for children with mild general learning disability."

"Most children with a mild general learning disability are included in ordinary classes with their peers and supported by their class teacher."