(Ireland) Cork: Mom pleads for school place for 13yo with autism
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
With just weeks until schools return in September, a mum has shared her frustration as her teenage son is left without a place.
It has been almost three years since Maria Keane reached out to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to ask about special post-primary schooling for her son, Yann.
In September 2023, Yann was only in fourth class in the autism unit at his primary school, but Maria already knew he would not suit mainstream secondary education.
Now, Yann is 13. After finishing primary school, he's ready for the next chapter. But he has no school place. He lives with his family in Blackrock, Cork. Yet even in Ireland's second city, there simply are not enough places to accommodate children who need special education.
"The system clearly doesn't work," Maria said. "It's all structural issues, I know. But I don't want my child to be the collateral damage from that."
It's been a lot of back-and-forth, she explained. He has autism and has been psychologically assessed twice now. It has been determined, with a report on paper, that Yann has an intellectual disability that would make him eligible for special schooling.
But the family has been told time and time again that there are no places available for their son.
There are currently 129 special schools in the country, providing primary and post-primary education to children aged 4 to 18. In Co Cork, there are 16 special schools, with around 1,060 school places. Waiting lists are a major issue. A number of schools have built expansions, while the new North Cork Special School is due to open this year.
"It feels like he wouldn't have been offered a place, regardless of whether or not he was assessed eligible," Maria, who works in administration at UCC, said, "They've told us the schools are full with waiting lists. We've been told that schools are closed for the summer. Surely they have contact information? It's weeks before the schools are open, and he has no school. This is a very urgent situation."
"It's ridiculous now at this stage, we've tried everything. I'm so upset for him," she said and added that Yann is "a bit edgy now" as September approaches. He's a bright child who enjoyed primary school and could thrive in the right setting, his mum said.
became more of a challenge. The gap between him and his peers grew wider. All I want is for him to be part of a school community, with peers similar to him, a system fit to his needs,
"I want him to feel that he is the normal in his school. It's why I first contacted the NCES when he was only in fourth class, and again in fifth and again in sixth."
Comments