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Parents of children with special needs are said to be devastated by the decision to keep schools closed for the rest of the month.
The executive director of autism charity AsIam said remote learning doesn’t work for many children and that most parents of children with autism rely on going back to school next week.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Adam Harris said families are devastated that their much-needed support has been taken away from them and they need a commitment that they will get personalized online learning.
Yesterday, Education Minister Norma Foley confirmed “with regret” that all schools will be closed to students as of Monday, January 11.
The Cabinet had agreed that Leaving Certificate students could attend school three days a week and distance learn the other two days, and special education classes and schools were also scheduled to resume face-to-face teaching.
Minister Foley said she was “very aware” of the impact the latest lockdown had on children with special needs and their families, as well as Leaving Certificate students.
School leaders, parents, teachers, SNAs and students had raised safety concerns over the decision to partially reopen schools as Covid-19 infections continued to rise.
The ASTI teachers union had ordered its members not to return to teaching at the school on Monday.
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In a statement, Harris said the loss of support at school will have a huge impact on children’s development.
He said that about 61% of children with autism lost key skills in areas such as communication, social interaction, self-regulation and self-care during the first school closings last year.
Harris said he was calling for an urgent meeting with Minister Foley and the department to develop a plan that “recognizes that children who attend special classes and schools should have priority to return to the classroom” beginning Jan. 18.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the government did consult with teachers regarding the abandonment of plans for Bachelor’s Certificate and special needs education.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said regular meetings were held between the Department of Education and faculty on the plan to keep schools open for Leaving Cert students and students with special needs. pic.twitter.com/kZFyrrMUkK
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 8, 2021
He said meetings were held between the faculty and the Department of Education “weekly.”
Mr. Donohoe also said that the public health council is clear and that schools are safe.
Matthew Colgan, a Leaving Cert student at Wexford CBS, said he doesn’t know what to make of the decision, but will continue to study for his exams.
Also speaking to Morning Ireland, he said he hopes the Department of Education will make further changes to the Leaving Cert.
Eimear Neville, a student at Presentation Secondary School Clonmel, said the decision was sudden and leaves questions unanswered.
She said mock exams will begin on February 2 at her school and there are questions about it as well.
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