Parents of autistic children who do not have a school place for their children started a sleepout outside the Department of Education on Marlborough Street in Dublin on Friday afternoon.
A young autistic woman has spoken about her anguish sitting in a classroom all day that cannot cater to her requirements to learn. Parents of autistic children who do not have a school place for their children started a sleepout outside the Department of Education on Marlborough Street in Dublin on Friday afternoon.
Last September, the Ombudsman for Children’s report suggested there were at least 126 autistic children with no school place. Kate Raftery, 19, was at the protest with her mum, Michelle, and spoke about the difficulties she had as a young autistic woman in a mainstream school trying to get an education.“There is the clock ticking on the wall going, tick, tick, tick. There is the whispers from the popular kids in the back. There is a girl clicking her pen over and over. “There is someone with a case of the sniffles. There is the marker on the whiteboard screeching. Someone is tapping their foot and someone is yawning, all while the teacher is rambling about a subject I don't know about.“Instead, I have to sit like nothing is happening. I have to sit still and look like I'm listening. “I have to pay attention all day until I go home and I can finally be myself. I can finally feel my discomfort and I can finally scream. “How do you expect anything to go in when you're teaching me when I have everything else going on in my brain? “The only thing I'm thinking in your lesson is, ‘Help’. I've actually had a class where I just wrote a full page with the words, ‘Help me’.” Mrs Raftery told the crowd that Kate is autistic, has ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and an eating disorder called ARFID . She attended a “reading school” in Dublin, where she learned to read and write. She said the three years she spent there "are the only education Kate has ever got.” Kate spent a year at home as she was unable to cope in a mainstream school, and when she went back, she only attended for an hour a day. She was then offered a place in an autism class at 17, but “Kate was still expected to go to mainstream classes” and spent “most of her days in the autism class colouring and doing art”. She did not do a Junior Cert and will not do her Leaving Cert in June. Other parents who spoke at the event included Sarah Hennessy, who has been trying to secure a place for her five-year-old son, Freddie.“I want to be at the school gate with all the other parents. I want to take photos of my child in his new school bag and his new uniform, “I’m sobbing my eyes out because my baby has grown up so fast. I want to be excited to collect him and cuddle him and learn all about his first day of school.Charlotte Cahill, one of the protest organisers, told the crowd that “education is not a privilege”. She said: “The Government has a statutory duty to protect your rights under the Constitution and international laws. But instead of solutions, we're faced with delays, excuses and neglect and broken promises to our leaders. “Let me be clear – We do not want to hear another State apology years from now for the neglect of our children. “We do not want our children to become the next scandal, the next shameful chapter in Irish history of institutional failures.” In a statement, Education Minister Helen McEntee said she is “determined that every child be supported to achieve their full potential within our education system and I want to reassure parents that we are doing everything possible to ensure there are enough places to meet their children's needs”. She said: “This week 218 new special classes were sanctioned by the NCSE across the country and more will follow imminently. “I am committed to opening additional special classes and special schools, expanding the number of SNAs and special education teachers, and expanding the resources available to special schools. “I have asked the NCSE to let me know as a matter of urgency if the legislative provisions introduced in 2022 which allow me to compel schools to open special classes is required, and if so I will not hesitate to use those powers to ensure sufficient places are available for September 2025.” Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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