‘No thought’ given to the children left behind - SNA

Rallies in support of SNA proceed despite Government U-turn

“Leave our children alone!” was the emphatic message emanating from the forecourt of Monaghan Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon, February 25, at a protest gathering reflecting local solidarity with the campaign to protect the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) sector from any potential cuts.

Organised by Aontú local representative Olivia Larkin and part of a nationwide series of demonstrations, including another in Cavan Town.

The Monaghan rally drew a crowd of approximately 70 people, comprising SNAs, mainstream teachers, parents of children with special needs and the children themselves, several youngsters brandishing home-made banners, which made clear their attachment to and need for the SNAs in their classrooms.

The Government decision to pause changes to SNA provision did little to dilute the anger and concern evident among those gathered on the Courthouse steps.

Ms Larkin, herself a teacher and parent of a special needs child, said the public outcry at the initial announcement demonstrated that the Government could change its mind very quickly when it wanted to.

“There has been a Government U-turn,” she told the crowd, “but the fear remains that these cuts will come down the road eventually.

“All we want is for the Government to honour the principle of cherishing the children equally by providing our special needs children with services that are equal to their counterparts. We don’t agree that our children should be the ones to suffer from a supposed lack of funding – there are many other areas where funding can be taken from.

“Take it out of the NGO budgets and leave our children alone.”

Ms Larkin said SNAs deserved job security. They did not deserve to learn from the media that they might not have a job in six- or 12-months’ time.

“SNAs work so hard and they are helping not just one or two children but every single child in a classroom.”

The Aontú representative said that if the Government were to receive a report card for the handling of this issue, it would have an F emblazoned upon it. Cavan Senator Sarah O’Reilly, one of a number of politicians present at the gathering, said her message to the campaigners is to remain vigilant.

The Aontú Oireachtas representative told The Anglo-Celt that the Government handling of the situation had been “a shambles” and had created panic and confusion among FF and FG backbenchers.

“Parents and school communities have to stay vigilant because these cuts appear to be Government policy,” Senator O’Reilly stated. “Since the outcry blame has been directed at Department of Education officials and the National Council for Special Education but all these agencies are doing is implementing Government policy.

“We need more SNAs in our primary and secondary schools, not less,” said Monaghan County Council member Richard Truell, who was present along with his party colleagues Pauric Clerkin and Alan Johnston.

“I have great sympathy for the SNAs and the families of children with special needs and they have come out today in their numbers to express their feelings. I welcome the Government U-turn but it needs to stay that way.”

Cllr Truell added that there were a number of other issues impacting this sector that needed to be addressed, including the need for a permanent special school in County Monaghan and tackling the lengthy waiting lists for speech and language assessments and therapy.

Cllr Johnston said it was an honour for him to join the children, parents and SNAs gathered at the courthouse. “Parents of children with special needs always seem to have to fight for their children’s right to a proper education and to get the support they need. It should not be like this.

“I’m glad that the Government listened to everyone involved and that there will now be no cuts to SNA numbers in the upcoming school year. SNAs play a vital role in the education of our children and they are valued members of each school they work in.”

Sinn Féin County Council members Paul Gibbons and Niamh McCooey, who have recently raised at local authority meetings the need for greater supports for the special education sector, were also present on Wednesday, as was Paddy Grenham of Monaghan’s Left Wing.

Protestors say changes, as planned, were "mean-spirited"

Meanwhile, in Cavan, SNAs - some of whom would’ve lost their jobs under a proposed government review – turned out in significant numbers for a protest in Cavan Town.

The Cavan protest followed a similar well-attended event in Monaghan and others across the country during last week.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) were joined by parents and local politicians at Cavan Courthouse on Friday last, all angry at plans to review the allocation of SNAs in schools.

There have been fears that “re-allocation” of SNAs to special education classes or autism units would mean some schools would be left without an SNA.

The Celt spoke with Anne McPhillips, who has been an SNA for 24 years, most of which has been in Billis NS.

We asked her why she felt it important to protest.

“Billis NS is a wonderful school, and I am really happy to be there.

There are 76 children at our school and, invariably, there are kids with special needs and children who need extra help in every single class.

“I think this was a culling exercise by the government so that when more specialist autism units or special classrooms are opened, attached to mainstream schools, they were going to redeploy SNAs.

“But no thought is given to the children left behind.

“What the government was going to do was really mean-spirited.

“There are children in every school with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, sensory issues and the government cannot expect teachers to attend to each child’s physical needs as well as teach the curriculum.

Ann considers herself an enabler, a teacher’s helper. “Learning support teachers in schools are completely booked out, who gives a child a movement break or brings children on their toilet breaks?

It’s SNAs doing this vital work. A five-minute movement break can make all the difference to a child’s learning.

“If they were really thinking of education in the present day, every junior, senior, first and second class in the country would have an SNA because in those junior classes early intervention is key.”

She added: “It would save the government in the long-run to have these children grow up capable and independent and keeping up with their peers.

It would also help the children too before they get to the age where they realise they are different and start to notice the differences between them and other students.”