SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS TO BE SLASHED AT A TIME OF GREAT NEED
Issued : Wednesday 20 January, 2010
Labour Cllr. Ronan McManus has expressed great concern at the recent report in the media which outlined the Government plans to axe hundreds of Special Needs Assistant posts and said “it is worrying in the extreme”.“I was shocked to read in last week’s newspapers that there is to be a
significant reduction in numbers of Special Needs Assistants and this blow
is worrying in the extreme”, said Cllr. Ronan McManus.
“This proposal is a slap in the face to the thousands of children who rely
on SNAs in classrooms around the country. As a parent of young children I
know too well that any reduction in SNA numbers will mean that not only
will these children themselves suffer, but so too will their classmates, as
a further burden will be placed on the classroom teachers. Teachers cannot
be expected to have all the skills required to provide for a child with
special needs and in this regard, they need whatever support they can get.
“The trend in recent years has been to accommodate children with learning
disabilities in mainstream schools and this was very much to be welcomed.
But if this situation is going to be reversed it will mean that children
with special needs will be left high and dry.
“Services for children with special needs have come under sustained attack
in recent years. Many SNA positions have already been scrapped over the
last two years, and there is simply no further scope for trimming back
numbers”, concluded Cllr. McManus.
Cllr 
