Public Information Meeting on Special Education Provision - September 1st 2005

The West Cork Parents Action Group will be holding their second public meeting in the Parkway Hotel Dunmanway, West Cork @ 8.00 pm, on Sept. 22nd. We are seeking a better education for children with special needs. Following the success and the outcry from parents at the previous meeting in April, which attracted over 200 people, we felt it was necessary to keep them informed on decisions made by the Dept. of Education. This meeting is to assess the impact of the "weighted system" style allocation of Resources in schools across the country. This meeting is open to Parents, Teachers, Special Needs Assistants and all other partners in the education process to evaluate the effectiveness of the new allocation system in our schools. We have secured four professional speakers, all from Dublin who have a great knowledge on learning disabilities and the education system.

Niamh Ni hAogain - a psychologist with Down Syndrome Ireland and also an educational psychologist will address the role of Special Needs Assistants and the importance of their role to the child.

Seamus Greene, Director and Founder of the National Parents And Siblings Alliance whose main role is to lobby and campaign for rights for people with intellectual disabilities will explore the relationship between parents and teachers.

Dr. Michael Shevlin, a senior Lecturer in Trinity College and also a member of the National Council for Special Education and who has written many widely acclaimed books on the subject, will discuss the results of interviews and research with students who have disabilities.

Pat Curtin a member with the National Council For Special Education
is going to speak on the role of the Special Education Needs Organisers (S.E.N.O's).

The meeting will provide an opportunity for discussion of the implementation by school management of changes resulting from the introduction of The Education of Persons with Special Needs Act, 2004. It will also be an opportunity to identify any problems associated with this legislation which, sadly, did not incorporate a specific rights-based principle to guarantee the educational entitlements of children with special educational needs. Most disability groups are hoping to see a reversal of this legislation in due course.

The meeting will begin at 8.00pm, and will conclude with a question
and answer style session between the panel of speakers and the
floor.

The Minister, Mary Hannafin and all local political representatives have been invited to attend.

For further information please ring 028-31411 or 087-9263693.

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