Proposed New School Model, affecting all children:
The Government are planning a new school model where there will be full “inclusion” in mainstream schools. The proposed model places children who would usually attend a special school, an ASD unit or a special class, in the local mainstream school.
The proposed model places children with high sensory needs who are non-verbal and cannot cope with the noise level of a mainstream classroom, children who are verbal with high medical needs, children with physical and toileting needs and the children with typical needs being educated in the same classroom. This might seem ideal if the right amount of resources were put in place but the mainstream classroom does not suit every child.
Some children cannot cope with bright lights, others cannot deal with the noise, while others cannot explain to the adults what their needs are and become very agitated and upset. The mainstream classroom can be a very upsetting place for these children.
We call on NCSE and the DES to have meaningful consultation with schools, parents and children’s advocacy groups to inform the right inclusion model for every child.
The Government are planning a new school model where there will be full “inclusion” in mainstream schools. The proposed model places children who would usually attend a special school, an ASD unit or a special class, in the local mainstream school.
The proposed model places children with high sensory needs who are non-verbal and cannot cope with the noise level of a mainstream classroom, children who are verbal with high medical needs, children with physical and toileting needs and the children with typical needs being educated in the same classroom. This might seem ideal if the right amount of resources were put in place but the mainstream classroom does not suit every child.
Some children cannot cope with bright lights, others cannot deal with the noise, while others cannot explain to the adults what their needs are and become very agitated and upset. The mainstream classroom can be a very upsetting place for these children.
We call on NCSE and the DES to have meaningful consultation with schools, parents and children’s advocacy groups to inform the right inclusion model for every child.
All children’s learning outcomes are likely to drop if proposed changes – from the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) – to allocating resources for Special Educational Needs go ahead. We can prevent this by taking action now. We ask you to stand with us in support of the national campaign for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child.
The campaign for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child calls for the State to provide for the rights of every child to an education. To respect the rights of all of our children, sufficient resources must be provided to those who have special educational needs. The Proclamation of our Republic promises to ‘cherish all the children of the nation equally’. Under the current model, inadequate resourcing means that children with additional needs are not guaranteed their right to equal access to education.
The campaign for The Right Inclusion Model for Every Child calls for the State to provide for the rights of every child to an education. To respect the rights of all of our children, sufficient resources must be provided to those who have special educational needs. The Proclamation of our Republic promises to ‘cherish all the children of the nation equally’. Under the current model, inadequate resourcing means that children with additional needs are not guaranteed their right to equal access to education.
