Speaking at a Young Fine Gael education conference in Galway today, INTO General Secretary, Senator Joe O’Toole, said that it is time to review special education and put in place a well resourced and flexible system of support for all pupils with special needs.
"The current system is unfairly dependent on the generous support of parents and friends," he said. "It is to our shame that we have for too long regarded special needs as a financial liability.
"As a nation we to signal clearly that we, as a caring society, see the child with special needs as an educational priority. The Special Child’s rights should be enshrined constitutionally and legislatively. Never again should parents have to put their every cent at risk in order to get educational rights for their children from the courts," he said.
Mr O’Toole also referred to changes in special education since the Report of the Special Education Review Committee report was published in 1993. "New syndromes have been discovered, diagnostic measures have changed and generally much more is known now about the special education area.
"It is now time for the Department to reconvene that committee to conduct a review of our current provision at pre-school, primary, post-primary and third levels, and to put in place a well planned, strategic system that is both responsive and flexible in meeting the needs of children with special education needs," he said.
