by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
PARENTS of primary school-going children in
Inishowen are to meet next Monday night to discuss
the cuts in the number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)
at local primary and secondary schools. The meeting
has been arranged for Monday, June 16 in the Strand
Hotel, Ballyliffin.
The organisers of last week’s meeting in St Aengus’
NS Bridgend of parents whose children are being
denied special needs assistants say they were
overwhelmed by the number of parents attending.
“More than 60 sets of parents attended the meeting,
where they joined teachers, principals and members
of boards of management,” Elaine Clarke, one of the
organisers said. Her son had a dedicated Special
Needs Assistant (SNA) this year. “We heard the same
story over and over again from all across Inishowen.
Special Needs Assistants are being withdrawn from
children, or children that need full-time assistance
are only being given part-time help and we have no
one to appeal this to.”
The meeting elected a subcommittee to oversee the
campaign to retain SNAs and other help as it gets
off the ground. They are Patricia McLaughlin
(Buncrana), William Joyce (Buncrana); Pauline Dowds
(Burt), Christine McGonigle (Clonmany); and Elaine
Clarke (Bridgend).
The group has organised a meeting for Monday 16 June
at 8pm in the Strand Hotel, Ballyliffin. Local
Senator Cecilia Keaveney has promised to arrange a
meeting between the committee and the new Minister
for Education Batt O’Keeffe.
“I want resources to be well targeted. I want
equality and consistency in the applying of
standards nationally,” Senator Keaveney said.
“Ultimately you would like to think that for many
children the intervention may only need to be
temporary and that they would be supported to become
independent not dependent. However, if a child who
has had a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or
psychologist or other medical person in one part of
the country that is deemed worthy of a particular
intervention at a primary or secondary level then it
should apply to students equally, wherever they
live.”
Expressing concern that the views of professionals
were being ignored, councillor Francis Conaghan said
that the function of special educational needs
organisers (SENOs) needs to be re-examined. “The
system of SNAs has worked well in the past but needs
to reassessed and we must look at the appointment of
SENOs,” Cllr Conaghan said.
“Their frames of reference need to be examined. Is
it a budgetary or an administration position? The
system needs to be streamlined because individuals
are getting a raw deal. Any system that does not
have a right to appeal would have to be addressed.” |
