Sir, – Parents describe the implications of a new report from National Council of Special Education recommending the phasing out of special education (“All special needs students ‘should be educated in mainstream schools’, council recommends”, Education, February 13th).
If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes more than a mainstream classroom to educate and support some children with additional needs.
It takes training for teachers and special needs assistants.
It takes smaller class sizes.
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It takes timely access to psychologists from National Educational Psychological services.
It takes properly staffed and well-resourced Community Disability Network Teams and Developmental Paediatric Services.
It takes development and additional capacity in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in general and in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for those young people with intellectual challenges.
It takes joint planning from the Department of Education and the Department of Health.
It takes an acknowledgment than even with all of the above in place, for some of our children (my son included), a special school place provides the best opportunity to learn, to grow and to flourish.
I believe all parents want their children to experience inclusion.
The reality is that for some of our children they experience inclusion in a special school.
Those who fail to acknowledge this should perhaps consult all those parents and guardians that apply to special schools every year.
They are many. – Yours, etc,
MARIA DUNNE,
Dublin 4.
