Families waiting for special school places plan 5k run on Mother's Day
Rebecca Meehan has considered taking legal action to get a school place for her son Jay but wants to work collectively with other parents rather than leave any child behind. File picture.
The families of children still waiting for appropriate school places in a Co Waterford town are to host a 5k run on Mother’s Day to call for immediate action.
The group represents 19 children who were placed on a waiting list for St John’s Special School in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
As previously highlighted by the 'Irish Examiner', the pupils who are from West Waterford, Cork, and South Tipperary were put on a waiting list after the school saw its applications triple this year.
The event on Mother’s Day is one of several upcoming events around the country staged by parents, aiming to highlight issues with special education provision.
Rebecca Meehan, who has been campaigning for a school place at St John’s for her son Jay, 5, said there have been no updates since her family’s story was first highlighted.
“The reality of if it is that if we don’t have a commitment for St John’s by March 30, it’s not going to be ready for September with everything that needs to be done.”
There are a limited number of sittings in the Dáil between now and Easter, she added.
“When is this decision going to be made? When is it going to be approved, and funds given to school and allocated to increase its capacity?”
“This are 19 real children who have nowhere else to go in September — nowhere.”
“The gravity of the situation is becoming very real now because there were talks that they were going to try and ease capacity issues in St John’s by increasing capacity elsewhere, but it hasn’t come to fruition,” she said.
Most of the group have not had offers of appropriate school places, meaning ones that meet their needs.
“There are at least eight of us that have nowhere to go; there’s no other class, there’s no other backup.”
Home tuition is often cited as a last resort for children who do not have an appropriate school place.
“Is my child actually really going to be at the kitchen table in September? Its looking like it at this point,” Ms Meehan said.
“I feel like we’ve raised awareness in every way that we could as parents, as a community, as mothers and that’s why we’re targeting Mother’s Day.”
“Every day since January 23 [when we started campaigning] has been taken from us.”
“We’re now coming to the end of March and we still don’t have any commitment for the children.”
Ms Meehan confirmed that she is considering legal action if Jay does not get a place.
“I’m considering applying for a Section 67 which would mean that Jay would have to get a place,” she said
“The reason I’ve held off on this is because from an integrity perspective, as a mother, there are 18 other kids impacted in this, and I’m invested in their lives.
“If I go the legal route, maybe other parents are initiating this too, but I don’t want to step on any child and I don’t think it’s fair that any child be left without a seat at the table or at the school desk in September. I’m trying to do this collectively.”
As previously reported by the Irish Examiner, serious doubt has been cast over the opening of a new school in Cork for students with complex additional needs in time for this September.
Last week, work had yet to commence on the clearing of a site in the rural village of Carrignavar earmarked by the Department of Education for a new special school due to open for the coming school year.
The special school project was one of five announced in October last year.
The projects were announced after the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the department found the level of need for special educational places in these five areas could not be met by expanding existing special schools.
Education minister Helen McEntee and minister of state for special education Michael Moynihan have pledged to use legislative powers, introduced in 2022, which allow them to compel schools to open special classes if required.
