Crisis in secondary schools in Laois for special needs students say parents and teachers

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, who’s 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. They just don’t give a f**k about them.”

Another parent whose son is13-years of age is also experiencing rejection looking for a school place for him.

Speaking with the ‘Laois Nationalist’ she said: “I just don’t know what I will do. My son has no idea of the trouble ahead of him. I can’t tell him where he will be going to school next year.

“There’s nobody listening to us out there. There’s tons of politicians turning up at our doors now before the election but people who are not in our situations just don’t know the anguish and torment we are going through.” 

Another parent speaking with the ‘Laois Nationalist’ said: “Just weeks away from the election and not long after the budget we’re being told that there’s buckets of money for everything and everyone. The same politicians that are now knocking on our doors were falling over one another to get their photographs taken at the official opening of the new Saint Francis School a couple of years ago. I don’t see many of them now, calling for extra school places for our children or offering us any help.” 

One election candidate however has sought answers over the crisis situation in Laois.

Aontú’s Mary Hand, who is a teacher said her party leader Deputy Peadar Tóibín has written to the Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister Hildegarde Naughton for immediate clarification on why funding which had been approved for special education ASD units in secondary schools in the county has been paused?

Ms Hand said: “This is an incredibly serious matter. Schools throughout Laois are oversubscribed as it is with lengthy waiting lists so any reduction in funding would be hugely problematic”.

“We want immediate clarification from the Ministers involved as the stress and worry this uncertainly is causing parents and teachers is dreadful. We want a solid answer as to the numbers of special education ASD units in Laois schools that have been put on hold, and how many students this will impact.” 

Ms Hand said it’s her understanding “that parents from as far away as Cork are enquiring about places for their children with autism in schools throughout Laois, such is the shortage of school places.”