A recent Department of Education review revealing that nearly all 30 schools it inspected had admission policies which could restrict enrolment of autistic children is a stark reminder of the barriers vulnerable children face in accessing education.
The clauses in admission policies - requiring participation in mainstream classes, setting thresholds on disability levels, or excluding students based on potential behaviour - contravene the principles of inclusive schooling.
This issue is not isolated. Across the State, families of children with additional needs are struggling to access schools in their localities. Parents, in many cases, are forced to apply to dozens of schools without success. This leads to situations where children’s needs are not met, where they must travel long distances to find a school and where some are left without any school place.
For many schools, there can be a reluctance to open special classes. Principals and school managers worry about whether resources and supports will follow the pupils and if there will be training for their teachers.
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The Government insists resources are available, as well as teacher upskilling. However, the chaotic manner in which special classes are currently being opened in schools and the under-projection of the level of need has not helped to build either trust or confidence.
The Minister for Education Helen McEntee’s decision to request that school patron bodies t review their school admission policies is a first step in the right direction. Her department must continue to monitor compliance and hold schools accountable. It must also improve planning to ensure families have certainty over places and that all supports needed by schools are available.
Inclusion should not be an aspiration but a standard. Every child, regardless of their abilities, has the right to access quality education in an a supportive environment. It is long past time for decisive action to dismantle the barriers that have long hindered this right for children with autism in Ireland.
