Brendan O’Connor, a radio presenter for RTÉ, has voiced his displeasure regarding the struggles he faced while trying to secure a mainstream secondary school spot for his daughter, Mary. As Mary has Down syndrome, her education started in a mainstream primary school but there are no such options for secondary education due to capacity constraints. Mr. O’Connor appreciates that his daughter has received a place, though it’s not the ideal situation. Ideally, she should be attending a mainstream school with special classes designed for children like her, he expressed, but unfortunately such an option is virtually non-existent. They did manage to locate one such class at a mainstream school, but failed to secure a spot.
Mr. O’Connor detailed the importance for children with special needs to have a blend of social interaction and other supports offered by special classes, combined with the stimulation obtained from being in a mainstream setting. Sadly, there seemed to be no avenue for Mary to experience this balance and he angrily denounced the idea of full inclusion as illusionary.
In response, the Department of Education stated that most children with special educational needs are indeed facilitated to join mainstream classes. Furthermore, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the governmental organisation tasked with providing school places for children with special needs, affirmed that certain places were still vacant in post-primary special classes in Dublin for the current academic year, also pointing out the rising demand for these classes at a post-primary level. Conversely, Mr O’Connor backed his initial argument with his daughter’s own experiences, who was born in 2010 and has been facing decreasing inclusivity as she gets older.
Brendan O’Connor, popular RTÉ broadcaster, has taken a seat on the other side of the microphone in the inaugural episode of ‘Conversations with Parents’. The role reversal sees him grilled by host Jen Hogan about parenting issues, revealing his struggle with Imposter Syndrome. Father to Anna and Mary, and husband to journalist Sarah Caden, O’Connor offers an intimate view of fatherhood, discussing the challenges and triumphs of raising two adolescent girls and expanding on how his experience of rearing a child with Down Syndrome has influenced him. The programme has been put together by Aideen Finnegan.
Brendan O’Connor’s frustrations toward failed societal inclusivity of children with disabilities surfaces during the conversation; he argues that the supposedly inclusive education children with Down Syndrome receive is anything but inclusive. Contrary to his own experiences, he feels society merely pretends to value inclusivity, despite the persisting segregation and lack of inclusion experienced by children with special needs. O’Connor emphasised that the reality is far from the lip service given to disability access and inclusion in schools.
The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, echoes O’Connor’s sentiments, noting that despite strides made in recent years, finding suitable school places for children with special educational needs, especially during the transition to secondary school, remains a significant challenge each September.
Inclusion Ireland, whilst on its mission to secure funds for a six-year inclusive education strategy that envisions all children learning together, admits that the goal of full inclusivity in education is still out of reach.