Minister of State for the Department of Education, with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan
This is a supplementary measure to ensure that while children await a new special class placement in a mainstream school, they can access a more sustained level of support in a setting with peers of their own age.
— Josepha Madigan ⚖️✨ (@josephamadigan) May 25, 2022
Last night/this morning
Via RTÉ News:
The Minister of State for Special Education has called a meeting of stakeholders this afternoon to discuss a controversial proposal to accommodate children with autism and other disabilities in the Dublin area in special temporary education centres from September.
Autism campaigners and school principals have reacted with shock to the decision, which was announced on Twitter by Minister Josepha Madigan.
Details of the plan – designed to address a severe shortage of school places in the capital – emerged last night.
Adam Harris of the charity AsIAm has said he is “truly shocked” by the plan which will mean “the segregation of autistic children from their peers”.
Mr Harris said his organisation estimated that there were at least several hundred autistic children across the country who have been unable to find a suitable school place for this coming September.
Stakeholder meeting called over school plan for children with autism (RTE)
This is a disgusting suggestion and must be absolutely shut down. I never was, never will be, racist/zenophobic etc but, whether Pavlovian or not, my first reaction was ‘they can get class spaces for Ukranian children at the drop of a hat (and rightly so and all that) but, to do that, they are now proposing to ditch children on the spectrum in what will very quickly become dump schools’.
For the record, I have a nephew on the spectrum who was helped enormously by attending a small rural primary school with peers of all sorts.
I also have a niece on the spectrum and her place in school is the best part of her day, she loves school and is well behaved and hard working, why the hell shouldn’t she deserve the same chances as any other child
At least they safe,seriously questioning if I want live in states,a subway rider was shot dead over weekend,totally random.
https://nypost.com/2022/05/24/suspect-in-nyc-subway-shooting-of-daniel-enriquez-surrenders/
Really don’t know much about the topic but I would think integration is better,some of these kids may have more issues than others,not sure how segregating them is helpful,has Madigan any credibility left.
We’d never be that lucky that you’d get caught in the crossfire
Josepha Madigan’s name is becoming a byword for ‘bad decisions and bad advice’, you’d think a lawyer would have more cop-on. Swing-gate wasn’t all that long ago though I’m sure she’d like for everyone to forget that.
Why not give families a grant to build a scullery, autistic kids could then be kept there all day, out of sight from the neighbours?
Christ. They KNEW this was coming. Schools and parents have been CRYING OUT for facilities for years. Tossers.
Another day, another disgusting action from a party too long in power and too removed from the average voter.
this
Fury over Madigan plan for temporary education centres for children with special needs:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/fury-over-madigan-plan-for-temporary-education-centres-for-children-with-special-needs-41692193.html
Yeah, “temporary”.
It’s warehousing kids with special needs because FFGG don’t care about them. They cost too much money that could be spent on grants for their builder pals. Sticking them somewhere with a juicebox and a straw will be grand.
Spesh.
Special operation. Well done, Fr. Josepha of Mount Merrion!