I believe in inclusive education and have been an advocate for it for a long time. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has announced its intention to make a recommendation for full inclusive education in schools for students with special educational needs.

The special needs assistance scheme has allowed many students to participate in education. It is now time to move further. The NCSE basically notified the public that they may bring forward a proposal in June 2020 regarding enrolment. Schools will be discouraged from asking a question about the additional support needs that a student might have. The basis of this proposal is quite logical at this juncture. For many years we’ve had a policy of inclusion in our schools. It is time to move the bar.

Cartoon by Clyde Delaney.

It’s 30 years since our daughter Julie started school. Julie has a physical disability and needed access. She was a bright little girl and we wanted her education to take place in her local school with any siblings that might follow her. She was accepted and it fell to us to put any physical aids that were required into the school for her.

Now there exists a range of supports for pupils with additional needs in the school

Things have moved on considerably and parents would not be required to do those things today. When Julie went to secondary school, the lobby of politicians went on for three years to get a lift into the school so that Julie could access all areas. Now there exists a range of supports for pupils with additional needs in the school. None of this has happened without the lobbying of parents, the commitment of the educators and the backing of the NCSE and government departments. Julie enjoyed a wonderful education in her primary and secondary schools and has been a member of the board of the NCSE in more recent times.

Different schools for siblings

Our eldest son Diarmuid was born with an intellectual disability and he needed education, but alas we did not see that our local primary school could meet Diarmuid’s needs, so he attended special school.

He thrived, made good friends and emerged a well-rounded young man. There is no argument with the education he received except for deficits in the area of speech and language therapy and other supports. But Diarmuid was removed from his community and that has lifelong implications. It is not natural or right.

We have no idea what the opposite of inclusion means when you have to live it

He should have gone to school with his sister and two younger brothers. Just imagine how that would have felt for him. We have no idea what the opposite of inclusion means when you have to live it. It is simply exclusion.

We’ve all felt it at some time in our lives and it is not a nice feeling. I know the proposal to work towards full inclusion of all pupils with additional needs sounds ambitious.

I trust the NCSE to understand the enormity of this promised proposal for the future of children with special educational needs

It might even be daunting for families and teachers and difficult for school principals and managers but I urge people to consider the benefits of inclusion for the individual child.

Let’s not view this forthcoming proposal with negativity, but with hope and determination for the inclusion of all children in our school system.

On a practical level, it would have been so much easier for us if Diarmuid could have gone to school with his siblings. I trust the NCSE to understand the enormity of this promised proposal for the future of children with special educational needs.

There will be fear

There will be uproar and fear as teachers panic that there will not be sufficient support in the classrooms. Make no mistake; this is a huge undertaking and cannot happen without more teachers, extra special needs assistants, enhanced infrastructure and added multi-disciplinary teams which include speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. There will be training and new supports required.

Despite the hurdles, I’m still optimistic that we can do this

This simple but complex proposal will cost millions to put in place properly. But I have one huge concern; how do we design the model and supports necessary to facilitate the education of pupils that cannot cope, that cannot be included and cannot be integrated because their sensory brains do not permit them to do so?

Despite the hurdles, I’m still optimistic that we can do this. It will be a phased implementation and I hope that 10 years from now all students and siblings will attend the local school. As an advocate for inclusion, that would make me very proud.