Charities call for pause of new Inclusive Special Classes

Two charities that support children with additional needs have called for the introduction of a new kind of special education class to be paused until comprehensive consultation takes place with the families of children and representative organisations.

Autism charity, AsIAm, and Inclusion Ireland have written to Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton and her department requesting an urgent meeting to discuss Inclusive Special Classes, a new model of class that was announced yesterday .

In a statement outlining "deep concern" the organisations said: "Yet again, this announcement was made without any consultation with children, families and their representative organisations.

"This is a pattern; the people who will experience these shifts in policy most profoundly are the ones who are not at the table and who do not have their voices heard.

"Rather than co-designing policy meaningfully and strategically, this piecemeal approach causes unnecessary and avoidable confusion and upset for our communities.

"It is beyond time children's voices were centred in policy which deeply affects their lives," the statement said.

Inclusive Special Classes are due to open in five post-primary schools this coming September.

In what appears to be a hybrid of special class and mainstream provision, the department has said the classes will "help students with additional needs learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also having time during the day to receive extra support in a special class."