A Co Kerry mother of three claimed at Listowel, Co Kerry, District Court yesterday that the education her children had been receiving was "sacrificing part of their personalities". She was in court for allegedly failing to comply with a warning issued under the Schools Attendance Act.
Mrs Christina Best, of Stack's Mountain in Kilflynn, withdrew her three children, Niall (13), William (11) and Hazel (8), from school over a year ago and is educating them at home.
A district schools inspector, Dr Padraig O Donabhain, told the court that he had visited the Best home last October. He had spoken to both parents about the provisions they were making for the education of their children. He had also met the children, had seen them being instructed and had given them exercises to do.
Dr O Donabhain said some provision was being made to educate the children and there was a well-intentioned attempt to follow primary school textbooks. In his opinion, however, the quantity and quality of instruction were insufficient.
He also expressed concern that their lack of contact in an educational situation with other children could affect their "socialisation".
Dr O Donabhain said he believed there were serious shortcomings in the children's education and that they were likely to be significantly or severely disadvantaged in terms of opportunities to pursue further education. They had fallen behind in mathematics and were not studying Irish. He said the children were above average intelligence and their potential was being limited.
Mrs Christina Best told the court that Hazel had expressed a wish to return to school because she missed the company of other children. She had enrolled her in Kilflynn National School, which she had been attending since the start of term earlier this month. She said the two older children wished to continue to be educated at home. The family had not made any decisions about second-level education.
Explaining her decision to withdraw the children from school, she said she had felt that the academic instruction was sacrificing part of their personalities. She did not like the way they were developing.
O Donabhain had himself accepted that "provision" was being made for the education of the children. He also pointed out that Mr and Mrs Best were within their constitutional rights to educate their children at home. Supt Michael Maher said there was no doubt there were significant and serious shortcomings in the provisions being made to educate the children at home.
Judge Mary O'Halloran said the concern of the court was for the welfare of the children. She said she was glad to hear that one of them had returned to school, and she proposed to give the parents one final opportunity to consider their position in relation to the other two. She adjourned the case to February 12th.