The trauma that prep school pupils are unnecessarily being put through has been raised directly with the Children’s Commissioner by Strangford DUP MLA Jonathan Bell. Jonathan Bell MLA sought the meeting after being contacted by a parent of a Prep school child with special educational needs. Speaking after the meeting with Patricia Lewsley at the NICCY Headquarters in Belfast Jonathan Bell MLA stated;
“Rarely have I seen children put through such unnecessary trauma and stress as this ludicrous consultation on withdrawing Prep school funding by September 2010. Is it not now widely acknowledged that it is a case of when not if this ill-thought through proposal to withdraw funding by 2010 falls.
I specifically raised the plight of children with special educational needs as I am aware that the trauma of facing removal from their school, isolation from their peers/friends, dislocation from teaching supports of which a productive educational relationship has been formed – is causing stress and undue pressure. Put bluntly as the Minister for Education fiddles with their educational future vulnerable children in my constituency are suffering emotional distress.
I welcome strongly the Children’s Commissioner going public and placing her view on this matter into the public domain. Patricia Lewsley said:
“However, the method the Minister is using to end such funding is not in the best interest of the child, and is potentially causing undue distress.”
The question must be asked - Does the best interest of the child and the potential for causing them undue distress surely not trump the ideology of the Education Minister?”
SOURCE: http://www.dup.org.uk/default.htmLATEST NEWS
As a parent of a child with special needs (not the one mentioned by Mr Bell) I would like to thank Mr Bell for raising the issue of these children. My daughter has a cerebral palsy and I have no doubt that her having to move schools when entering her P5 year would be nothing short of a catastrophe emotionally, physically and academically. I have written to Ms Ruane and suggested that she meets my daughter so she could see for herself the stress she is putting on both the parents and more importantly the children, however surprise surprise - not even a letter of reply!!
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