Students needs have not gone away, but their support has, says one special needs assistant

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Students\' needs have not gone away, but their support has, says one special needs assistant

Students' needs have not gone away, but their support has, says one special needs assistant

LOUISE* is one of hundreds of special needs assistants (SNAs) who will no longer be working with students with care needs in schools after classes ended yesterday. She is one of nine SNAs working with more than a dozen of around 500 students at a Leinster second-level school. But she and two colleagues are being made redundant arising from a review of SNAs carried out by a Special Educational Needs Officer (SENO) last May.

They were told last summer that their jobs were going, meaning just six SNAs would have to be spread among all the students. But next Monday's date for cuts to begin was set by the Department of Education on the basis that the review of all 4,000 primary and second level schools by SENOs from the National Council for Special Education would end before Christmas.

"We had absolutely no contact with the SENO, she sat for about five minutes in the class of my student. These students' needs have not diminished in any way, yet on Monday they will have 97.5 hours less support every week," said Louise.

The supports offered by SNAs are wide-ranging, and can include helping students go to the toilet, making sure they get to class in time and have their books in order.

"Students with low ability need help, particularly in practical classes such as woodwork, where they might be a danger to themselves or others. If they have dyslexia or dyspraxia, they might need help taking notes in class or writing down homework," said the mother-of-three, married to another public servant who has had his pay cut over the last year.

"Or if they have behavioural problems we can take them out of the class to calm them down and help diffuse a situation," she said.

Louise, a member of the IMPACT union, predicts the biggest difficulty will be for students doing state exams in June, and suggests they should not have their SNA hours taken away until the summer at least.

"Some students have mock Junior or Leaving Certificate exams coming up in mid-February but now they're left with no support," she said.

Louise also warns the cuts could make parents of some students consider moving their children to special schools, going against the Government's policy of integration.

"If they are forced to go to a special school, they will lose all the benefits of socialising with other pupils," Louise said.

She is frustrated that she and hundreds of other SNAs will lose their jobs, while only around one-third of schools have been reviewed so far. Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has refused to extend the February 1 date by which SNA cuts must begin taking effect, insisting schools, students and parents have had months of notice.

Having spent thousands on special needs qualifications, she earns around €24,000 after working as an SNA for six years.

"I'm facing into the dole queue with hundreds of others, but I'd rather work two or three days a week which would cost the state the same money," she said.

*Not her real name.