Sir, – The Irish Times is quite right in pointing out that the denial of access to appropriate education for pupils with additional needs, including emotional and behavioural, is a national scandal ("We are failing our most vulnerable pupils", Editorial, August 30th). In my experience, schools are keen to be inclusive but want to avoid the on-campus, damaging segregation that can emerge without proper supports, training and funding for pupils with disabilities. Underfunding, lack of specialist training and outreach professional supports and inadequate staffing are huge obstacles to inclusion for schools.
One highly vulnerable group completely overlooked in education are those children and young people in the care of the State through Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
It seems the Department of Education does not recognise their particular vulnerabilities as it does not identify or track them under the POD (primary online database or PPOD (post-primary) and so cannot tell what outcomes are like for this group, how many changes of placements they have over their school years, and whether or not they have been suspended or excluded. This is a neglect that will surely be exposed in coming years, to all our shame.– Yours, etc,
ANNE McCLUSKEY,
Tallaght, Dublin 24.