Dear Sir,
Once more, parents of children with special needs, worn and weary, await in anticipation for the enactment of the July provision, yearning their child might be one of the fortunate ones to be accepted. My son is fortunate enough to be enrolled in a wonderful school dedicated to special needs education. Despite this, the ongoing issue of summer provision rears its head each year.
The continuation of the programme is contingent upon the voluntary participation of the familiar staff. A variety of personal circumstances result in some choosing not to participate. There are alternate solutions, but the Ministry of Education must ensure these are appealing for the teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) eager to be involved. This requires adequate pay, proper organisation, resources, and an increased use of external educators and SNAs.
This year, the school desired to offer one week of summer provision to eight classes. However, the Ministry mandated that two weeks must be provided, leading to a reduction to only four classes. Given that our school consists of 16 classes, it means only four receive two weeks of summer sessions, leaving 12, including my son’s class, with no provision.
The summer months are arduous for children with additional needs and their families. The absence of routine, structure and stimulus without proper support makes the long days and nights even longer. Home-based provision is unsuitable for many children, including my child, since it requires the presence of a nurse, well-known teacher or SNA. Access to the school bus, comrades, and a familiar environment are all integral to my son’s daily life.
While home provision is a crucial alternative for some, most children find more value in a school-based programme. Frustratingly, unless integrated into the regular school year, this is likely to continue, and it appears to be deteriorating annually. There is a lack of incentives for staff participation and original ideas to guarantee its availability. Ideally, the programme should span the entirety of July.
Regrettably, the needs of the most vulnerable are often overlooked. Yet again.
It is utterly regrettable that numerous individuals will be left out this year. Indeed, it is far from ideal and completely unjustifiable. It’s outrageous that in our school, only four out of sixteen classes are provided with two weeks of summer provision, leaving the other twelve classes with nothing.
I anticipate that our newly appointed Taoiseach Simon Harris and the fresh Minister of State for Special Education, Hildegarde Naughton, will implement changes to improve the circumstances of children requiring specific educational assistance. The need for action in this area is long overdue. Sincerely,
Aisling McNiffe,
Straffan,
Co Kildare.