IPPN

Published: 03 March 2009

Source: Irish Times

Minister Batt O'Keeffe digs in on needs controversy

TEACHER'S PET: It is the question dominating discussion in education circles. Why did Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe impose those cold-hearted changes in special needs for the sake of a measly €7 million?

The assumption has been that 128 schools losing special needs classes were notified - without the prior knowledge of the Minister.

But it is now clear that O'Keeffe knew about the note to schools and did not seek to prevent its release.

Since the controversy surfaced, O'Keeffe has given a defence of the decision on RTÉ's News at One, in a letter to this newspaper and in a robust opinion article in the Irish Examiner.

In the Examiner article, O'Keeffe said there had been a staggering level of misinform- ation and misrepresentation on the issue. He also accused INTO boss John Carr of being disingenuous, given his knowledge of the requirements for teacher allocations.

The Minister is still digging in on the issue, arguing it makes good sense to mainstream small numbers of children with a mild learning disability.

He has also moved to reassure parents that children with such needs can get a quality education in a mainstream class, delivered by committed class teachers and supplemented by additional support from the resource/ learning support teacher.

But is there any point in rolling out these arguments in a debate about very vulnerable children?

In his article, the Minister openly acknowledges the "emotive nature of special education and the natural sympathy we all have for children with special needs and their parents.'" This, he says, makes it all the more important that we do not cloud facts with emotion.

But there is also the political reality; no Minister for Education can ever hope to win an argument on special needs.

The Minister was again on the defensive on the issue in the Dáil last Thursday. He made some valid points but there was the sense that he was winning a battle - and losing the war.

Until now, O'Keeffe had earned a lot of well deserved praise for his steely resolve, his affability and his capacity for thinking "outside the box". He was received very warmly at the recent conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network. But the special needs controversy has been damaging; it could change the public perception of the Minister.

- Former foreign affairs mandarin, Dermot Gallagher clearly has no intention of easing his way into retirement.

Gallagher, recently nominated as chair of the Garda Ombudsman's Office, was also elected last week as the new chairman of UCD's governing authority. Gallagher's nomination to the €150,000 Ombudsman post attracted some negative publicity because of his €400,000 pay-off from Foreign Affairs and his €126,000 annual pension.

The UCD post, however, is an honorary one which does not attract a salary. It is a clever appointment which will help UCD to bolster its international reach.

Interestingly, Gallagher was on the selection committee which nominated UCD president, Hugh Brady six years ago.

His first task should be to cut the 40 member Governing Authority which includes scores of county councillors and other worthies.

Is there a boardroom in the State with such an unwieldy management team?

- Are our students a bunch of Philistines? A Trinity News survey found that the vast majority of students had never visited the Douglas Hyde Gallery and there was low awareness of arts activities on campus.

Worse still, the vast majority of students polled were drawn from the arts and humanities facilities.

Read more ...

Published: 03 March 2009

Source: Irish Times

By: SEÁN FLYNN, Education Editor

THE ROW over the closure of 128 special classes intensified yesterday as the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) claimed the move breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Ireland is a signatory.

A spokesman for Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe denied the charge, accusing the INTO of being disingenuous on the issue.

Two weeks ago the department moved to close 128 special classes for children with mild general learning disabilities in 119 primary schools throughout the country.

According to the Minister, the 528 children affected by this decision would be mainstreamed or placed in regular primary school classrooms, with extra teaching provided by a resource teacher.

The move is expected to save the exchequer some €7 million annually, but it has been severely criticised by parents.

Article 7 of the UN convention stipulates "that in all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration". Under Article 24 the Government is obliged to ensure that children with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability.

Last night, INTO president Declan Kelleher said: "Supporting a policy of inclusion does not mean forcing all children with special needs into the mainstream classroom. No one has ever said that every special needs child should be integrated into mainstream classes even with additional support. The UN convention doesn't say it and neither does the Council of Europe."

Last night a ministerial spokesman said the move "far from being at odds with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities...is consistent with the objectives laid down by that important document.

He said: "Any serious scrutiny of our arguments would recognise that fact, and it is frankly disingenuous of the INTO to make claims to the contrary.

"Article 24.2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that parties should ensure that 'effective individualised support measures are provided in environments that maximise academic and social development consistent with the goal of education'.

"That's precisely what's happening in over 3,000 primary schools all over the country.

"In every one of these classes, children with a mild general learning disability are included in ordinary classes with their friends, supported by their class teacher and their learning support teacher who can work with particular children on a one-to-one basis.''

Mr Kelleher claimed the move to close special classes was a financial decision pure and simple.

Last night, one parent, Cathy Shevlin, from Co Monaghan, said her 10-year-old son, Niall, would be one of many children affected by the new move.

Niall, who was born with congenital heart disease, has made huge progress over the last three years at a special class in Convent Primary School in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. She said from September her son and 10 other children in the school could see their special classes abolished. In an email sent to every Dáil deputy she writes: "This is absolutely outrageous. These children are unable to integrate within the mainstream school. If they were, does the Minister not think that as parents we would have already placed them there?''

Last night a ministerial spokesman said the INTO in a recent submission to the department on the review of special needs resources appeared to accept that the current model was working well for all categories of children including those with mild general learning disabilities.

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Published: 03 March 2009

Source: Irish Times

Schools, pupils and teachers feel the pain as special-needs classes are cut back

Some 128 schools are set to lose special-needs classes for children with mild general learning disabilities. The cutback has generated unease and apprehension among parents and teachers in one Co Monaghan school

MARY KELLY teaches a class of children with special needs in Castleblayney Convent Junior National School in Monaghan. Each of the seven children in her class has an individual education plan because they have a range of learning, behavioural and medical difficulties. But Kelly's responsibilities extend far beyond English and maths. Speech therapy, occupational therapy as well as teaching simple life skills that the rest of us take for granted all fall under her remit.

There are good days and bad days. "A fortnight ago I went into the staffroom after a tough day, completely drained," Kelly explains. "I was thinking about how I really needed another assistant in the class when news came through that we would be losing at least one of our special needs classes altogether. I could not believe that this was even being considered."

The Convent JNS has a long history of special-needs provision in Monaghan. The school has two special-needs classes ; one with six children and one with seven, although that changes from year to year.

"The children in our classes range in age from four to 12," explains principal Sheila Donnelly. "We don't just have children with mild learning disabilities. We have children with Di George Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome ; a range of different problems and syndromes. We have five children who are classified as having a moderate learning disability as well."

Now the Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has announced that the school and 127 others are to lose a special-needs class. Any special-needs class with an enrolment of fewer than nine will be cut and the children expected to integrate into the mainstream system. The Minister has said that resource hours and special-needs assistants will be available for the children who reintegrate.

Donnelly is aghast. "Some of these children would not be entitled to help because their disability does not tick the requisite box on the application form," she says. "Every child in our special classes has been recommended to be there because mainstream education was either deemed unsuitable or it has failed them."

This cut will directly affect 534 children with special needs this year, but in reality if these children are integrated into mainstream classes, far more will be affected.

Parent Regina Treanor has first-hand experience of what can happen when a child with serious special needs ends up in a mainstream class that is unsuitable for them.

"My oldest chap had massive difficulties in mainstream education in another school. He has huge sensory problems and the noise in his classroom was just unbearable for him," she recalls. "His behaviour was completely unmanageable and it was disrupting absolutely everyone in the class."

The impact on the other children in the class led parents to complain bitterly to Treanor who was at her wit's end. Having heard about the special-needs classes in the Convent JNS, she approached Donnelly and secured places for her oldest son and his younger brother, who had been educationally assessed and was exhibiting similar problems. Both are thriving, but Treanor is quietly adamant that to attempt to integrate them into a mainstream class would be hugely problematic for all concerned.

Donnelly agrees. "Decisions about children needing to be in a class that is outside of the mainstream are not taken lightly," she says. "Health and educational professionals as well as the parents of these children have deemed a special class to be necessary. Now the Minister wants to overrule all of that expertise for the sake of €7 million. How can he possibly know better?"

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Published: 03 March 2009

Source: Irish Independent

By Louise Hogan

Tuesday March 03 2009

SHOCKED colleagues of an Irish sports star who died while running the Barcelona Marathon for charity last night paid tribute to an "exceptional" and "inspirational" teacher.

The Co Offaly primary school where Colin Dunne (27) taught for several years is planning to mark his tragic death.

"Colin died as he lived, sharing his time and talents for the benefit of others," Damian White, principal of Killeigh National School, near Tullamore, said.

Mr Dunne, who was captain of the Shamrocks senior hurling and football squads in Rahan, had travelled out with a group of friends from the club to take part in the marathon to raise funds for the Offaly Hospice.

The club will be holding a special Mass tonight at 9pm in St Colman's Church in Mucklagh, near Tullamore.

His shocked club friends have described him as an "absolute brilliant sportsman", whom many of the younger players looked up to.

A post mortem was being carried out to establish the exact cause of his sudden collapse after completing around 21 miles of the race on Sunday. It was suspected Mr Dunne, from Roscore, near Tullamore, may have suffered a heart attack.

Both his mother Bernie and his only sister Ciara were understood to have made the trip to Barcelona on Saturday as a surprise visit. His father Tom has now travelled out to the Spanish city to help with arrangements.

Condolences

The accomplished GAA player became engaged around Valentine's Day to his girlfriend of around eight years, teacher Yvonne Kearney, from Tullamore, who was also in Barcelona.

Parish Priest Fr Seamus Dunican said Taoiseach Brian Cowen, also a member of the parish, had sent his condolences to the family. Fr Dunican said Mr Dunne was "highly respected" in the area and had died during a "charitable act".

Funeral arrangements have not yet been confirmed.

Mr White said all the teachers and staff at the school had supported and sponsored him and he had "went off in good cheer" on Friday.

"It is very hard to describe a colleague that was close, except to say he is an exceptional and inspirational teacher, a wonderful colleague, a dedicated member of staff, very popular with everybody, a keen sportsman, shared his time in a way that is nearly not common anymore. He gave so much time to the school, to sports, to music, everything," he added. He said he will be "sadly missed".

- Louise Hogan

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