Education Authority criticised for special needs children's transfers from nursery to secondary school
The Workers Party has criticised the Education Authority for how they handle special needs children's transfers from nursery school to primary school and the length of time taken to notify parents on admission of their child to a school place. Nicola Grant, WP Newry, said that all too often parents must wait until the school year is about to start before their child has admission to a school confirmed.
She said these delays are unacceptable as special needs children require time to adjust to an unfamiliar environment and need to be able to see their new surroundings and meet their teachers before the school year begins. Moving schools is a daunting and challenging process for any child and presents more difficult challenges for those children with special needs.
The Workers Party is calling on the education authorities to ensure that systems are in place that enable schools to let parents know well in advance of the new school year if their child has a place. This is necessary for parents so they can prepare children for their change of environment. More special needs places should be available to deal with the complexity and degrees of special needs. One parent confided the education authorities placed her child in a mainstream school that she knew was not right for the child who has special needs. Two years later the education system decided that her child was not suitable for a mainstream school. This should not be a regular occurrence. From the outset, children should be admitted to schools that suit them and meet their educational, emotional, physical, and other needs.