Towards a Better Future

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Chapter Seven: The School System: Equality, Inclusion and Rights It is likely that children with disabilities/SEN will have higher levels of unemployment. Since school engagement is crucial to helping people stay in education, the tendency for students with a disability to dislike school clearly needs to be addressed by teachers and schools. Therapeutic support services, such as speech and occupational therapy, psychological, physical and psychiatric supports, are also essential and primarily (apart from the National Education Psychology Service) provided by the HSE. Other research on the experiences and outcomes for students with SEN in Irish schools presents a mixed picture of the special education system in Ireland. It was evident from this research that the infrastructure to support special education provision has developed over recent years. It was also apparent, however, that serious systemic shortcomings exist. These include issues related to access to appropriate and timely assessments in order to avail of resources, the availability of therapeutic support, and failure to fully implement the EPSEN Act, with implications for the consistent development and application of individual education plans (Rose et al., 2015). Inadequacies in the provision of support services have been reported by many parents of children with disabilities. The barriers also include insufficient teacher knowledge and expertise, inconsistencies in development and implementation of IEPs and exclusionary clauses in school enrolment policies (ibid.). Research has also shown the greater likelihood of children with SEN being bullied at school (Cosgrove et al., 2014). The likelihood of lower levels of employment among people with disabilities/special needs is borne out in a number of studies. For example, the CSO analysis of the 2011 census found that of people aged 15 and over, and who declared a disability, only 21% were at work. This compares to 50% for the overall population aged 15 and over who were at work (CSO, 2012). The National Disability Authority (NDA) has found that employment levels are higher among those with higher levels of education (Watson et al., 2015). Education greatly increases employment potential but also the independence levels of those not capable of unsupported employment and enhances their social inclusion and quality of life. “ It is likely that children with disabilities/SEN will have higher levels of unemployment. Since school engagement is crucial to helping people stay in education, the tendency for students with a disability to dislike school clearly needs to be addressed by teachers and schools. ” Watson et al. (2015) suggest a broadening of the curriculum to include greater availability of programmes such as the Junior Cycle Schools Programme and Leaving Certificate Applied Programme. They also suggest the introduction of a Level 2 award under the proposed reform of the Junior Cycle, which should enhance the school experiences for young people with special needs for whom the traditional Junior Certificate is unsuitable. It is likely that, when implemented, the establishment of — 123 —
Towards a Better Future: A Review of the Irish School System Level 2 Priority Learning Units and the Level 1 Learning Programme envisaged in the implementation framework for the Junior Cycle (DES, 2015 b) will address these issues. Thus, in order to respect the rights of such individuals with disabilities and to fulfil the commitments consonant with international covenants and agreements, continuing support for pupils with disabilities (physical, sensory and learning), and for those with any kind of SEN must, remain a core part of the education agenda, as must professional development for teachers (O’Gorman, et al., 2009). ETHNIC DIVERSITY Many schools now cater for children from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In some schools there may be up to twenty nationalities and linguistic backgrounds, and children from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. By 2007, some 10% of primary school pupils were from immigrant or ‘newcomer’ families, of whom over three quarters were non-English speakers (Smyth et al., 2009, pp. 44-45). At second level, some 6% of pupils were from immigrant families, of whom 70% were non-English speakers. Again, some schools have a much higher proportion of their pupil populations comprising immigrant children. At primary and second level, there are some schools with over 20% of their pupils in this category (ibid.). There is evidence from other countries that allowing high concentrations of ethnic or racial minority children in some schools has a negative effect. For example, in the US, it has been found that school factors are very powerful and that black children are more likely to attend predominantly minority schools and that this leads to a “ black/white achievement gap (Condron, 2009). A study by the ESRI (Byrne et al., 2010) found little evidence of segregation in the Irish context but, in line with international studies, found that schools with a more socio-economically disadvantaged intake tend to have a higher proportion of immigrant students than other schools, and this was true for both urban primary and second-level schools. This finding, they argue, raises concern about whether ‘choice’ is available for immigrant families given that these schools tend to be undersubscribed relative to non-DEIS schools. Many schools now cater for children from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In some schools there may be up to twenty nationalities and linguistic backgrounds, and children from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. ” Studies have shown the difficulties that some immigrant children face when attending school in Ireland and the need for more support for them in school contexts. The need for immigrant children to have language and intercultural support in school settings in Ireland is evident (Tyrrell et al., 2011). However, it is also evident that there are as many differences between immigrant children as — 124 —
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Towards a Better Future

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