Home News Disabled kids wait three years for new school

Disabled kids wait three years for new school

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Over 50 children with severe mental and physical disabilities are being taught at a school in South Dublin that is in a serious state of disrepair. The principal of the 150-year-old school has now called on the Government to honour a commitment they made to provide them with a new purpose built facility to cater for her pupils’ special needs. The majority of the children with physical, mental, learning and behavioural disabilities at St Michael’s House on Grosvenor Road in Rathmines are still being taught in the Georgian building that principal Sheila Kelly says is completely unsuitable for their specialised needs. Ms Kelly has also been a teacher at the school for 32 years. She revealed that every principal who served before her since the foundation of the school in the 1960s has pressed the Department of Education to provide them with a purpose built building for children with special needs. She claimed that three years ago the department had agreed to build a new purpose built school for St Michael’s House at a site in Ballinteer. However, she said the school was no longer on that list. She added that three years ago students had a lucky escape when part of the ceiling collapsed in one of the downstairs rooms. “The class had just gone out to the little playground when the ceiling collapsed onto the floor,” Ms Kenny said. “Someone could have been hurt if they were there.” Ms Kelly said the maintenance team of the school's patron body, St Michael’s House, moved in immediately and checked to ensure that the building was safe. The school was closed for a week and a half after the incident. While Ms Kelly is not worried about the safety of the building, she is concerned that it does not adequately cater for the needs of the students. She explained that the school – which caters for 57 pupils – could no longer accept children with physical disabilities because the building is completely unsuitable. “We are unable to take children with physical disabilities into this school because of the steps and stairs,” she said. “Some of the kids with physical disabilities would have heart problems, for example, so they cannot go upstairs. Some kids have epilepsy so we have to be careful where they are accommodated and they cannot really go upstairs either. “The classrooms are very small,” she added. “They are converted bedrooms and reception rooms. Also, there are far too few toilets and children have to climb up the stairs to use them. “I’m not sure if the personnel who work in the Department of Education are fully aware of the term ‘special needs’ because of the fact that some of the children here have very special needs indeed.” The school has been forced to accommodate 15 of its more profoundly physically disabled children in prefabs on a shared site with Our Lady’s Boys’ National School in Ballinteer. However, Ms Kelly said this arrangement was also unsuitable for the needs of these children as the unique situation was placing extra demands on the school's staff resources. “The lack of facilities at Grosvenor Road and Ballinteer is limiting the progression of these children,” Ms Kelly added. Deputy Olivia Mitchell (FG) recently asked the Department of Education to provide her with an update on the status of the proposed new school to replace the building in which children are currently schooled. In reply, the Department of Education said the proposal would be considered in the context of their multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. “However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time,” the spokesperson added.