Crisis in secondary schools in Laois for special needs students

Laois, Ireland: Jasour – News Desk
PARENTS of children with special needs in Laois are at their wits end
and are frantically trying to find a place for them next September due to the
severe shortage of Secondary School ASD places. To compound matters and due to
the huge demand for places, the recently built Saint Francis Special School in
Portlaoise submitted an application to the Department of Education for two
additional classrooms, while an additional building was being built on the
school grounds, but the application was turned down.

Saint Francis School principal John Moran said:
“We received a letter from the Department of Education refusing our application
for those additional classrooms. We are currently working with 19 classes,
though we are just meant to have 12. “However, instead of giving us more room,
they want us to reduce three classes. We currently have a waiting list of 45 so
it doesn’t add up at all. We need the decision to refuse our application
reviewed urgently and we need the new building fast tracked as we simply cannot
wait until 2027.

Our population has increased hugely since 2021 and using this year as a
benchmark is completely unrealistic”. Mr Moran said he also received a letter
from the Department in response to his accommodating eight additional pupils
with special needs last year, and was instructed that it should never happen
again. Principal of Heywood Community School Eamon Jackman said there is a long
waiting list for students to its special classes for students with Autism and
are currently oversubscribed.

Mr Jackman said: “We held individual meetings with all applicant families last
week and they are incredibly concerned. Our wish would be to give all our
applicants access to our special classes next September, but we are unable to.
These students need the specialised care and attention of a special class as
recommended by their educational assessment reports.” A number of parents
contacted the ‘Laois Nationalist’ expressing their anger over the situation.

One parent, whose child is finishing sixth class in The Holy Family Star Centre
in Portlaoise this year was hoping to move into second level education. She
told of how she contacted numerous schools around Laois in a desperate bid to
have her son enrolled, only to be told there are no places available and if
there were, there were long waiting lists.

Debbie Byrne the mother to 12 year old Aaron said: “The situation is absolutely
crazy. Aaron has done so well but now we have no idea what school he will go to.
He is very anxious. It is an utter shambles and disgrace and the Minister for
Education and the Government have a lot to answer for.”

She said: “They want us to put our children in main stream schools, but many of them would not cope.
It’s a disgrace. Children with special needs are the forgotten children as far
as I can see.