‘De facto suspensions’ as parents asked to collect pupils from special school in Cork suburb

Parents of children in special schools are often asked to pick their children up early from school, a Cork TD has said, as there have been almost 20 suspensions in one Cork school in the last three years, including one within the last week.

Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide raised the issue in the Dáil last week, saying “yet another young person has been suspended in Carrigaline Community Special School in the past week”, bringing the number of suspensions in the school since 2022 to 19. 

“There has been an alarming pattern of suspensions there,” said Mr Quaide. “Parents have also spoken of a pattern of de facto suspensions where they are repeatedly called to pick up their child early from school for behaviours that are intrinsic to their disabilities.

“Beyond the need for more therapies in the school, there is a clear school culture driving this spate of de facto suspensions, as well as the huge turnover of staff. 

"The Taoiseach has said this is not the way to deal with behaviours related to autism and intellectual disability. 

"These cultural issues in the school are having a huge impact on children and their parents, some of whom I met two weeks ago, along with my colleague Deputy [Pádraig] Rice.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I am on the record for a long time as saying expulsions from special education facilities are not a good thing and are not something I agree with, but I do not know the specifics of each case.” He said he was in touch with education minister Helen McEntee, and “we have been in touch with the ETB as well”.

A Cork ETB spokesperson told The Echo they are working with parents, staff, and students as well as the Department of Education, National Council for Special Education, National Educational Psychological Service, and HSE to improve supports available.

“As a result of the additional supports that have been made available to our special schools, including the in-schools therapy pilot project and the tremendous work being done by our staff, there has been a significant reduction in the number of incidents of concern and, therefore, a significant reduction in instances where the school management has felt the need to remove the student from the class or the school,” they said. 

“In certain extreme circumstances and where measures to de-escalate and manage the situation safely have not been successful, and where behaviours present a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the student and other students and staff, the removal of a student from the class or from the school for a short period has been necessary. This is done as a safety measure and not as a punitive one and is always a measure of last resort.”