George Lawlor: Defends Special Schools, Calls to Rethink Circular 39
George Lawlor addressed proposed changes to the designation of special schools under Circular 39 of 2025, urging the Department and the NCSE to re-examine the plans. He defended Our Lady of Fatima special school in Wexford, arguing pupils with mild general learning disabilities thrive there and may be harmed if compelled into mainstream schools.
George Lawlor noted that the Department and the NCSE intend to commence work reviewing the designation of existing special schools to ensure they respond to local needs. He warned this review could lead to pupils being required to attend their nearest mainstream school rather than travelling to specialist settings.
He used Our Lady of Fatima special school in Wexford town as a case study, describing how it caters for children with mild general learning disabilities and has introduced Leaving Cert applied exams. He said the school offers a primary curriculum, junior cert level, level 3 subjects and has started senior cycle level 2 and the Leaving Cert applied, with former pupils progressing to third level and local apprenticeships.
George Lawlor argued that children who attend schools like Our Lady of Fatima often struggle with mental health or high anxiety and would not flourish if compelled into mainstream settings. He said smaller student numbers and specialised supports in such schools remove anxiety and allow pupils to access the curriculum successfully.
He urged the minister to re-examine Circular 39 2025 for the benefit of similar special schools across the country, stressing that the model at Our Lady of Fatima has worked and is at risk. He cited testimony from Darrell Cogley, chairperson of the school parents' association, who described how his daughter flourished after moving from mainstream schools to the specialised environment.
Review plans from the Department and the NCSE
George Lawlor noted that the Department and the NCSE intend to commence work reviewing the designation of existing special schools to ensure they respond to local needs. He warned this review could lead to pupils being required to attend their nearest mainstream school rather than travelling to specialist settings.
Our Lady of Fatima as an example
He used Our Lady of Fatima special school in Wexford town as a case study, describing how it caters for children with mild general learning disabilities and has introduced Leaving Cert applied exams. He said the school offers a primary curriculum, junior cert level, level 3 subjects and has started senior cycle level 2 and the Leaving Cert applied, with former pupils progressing to third level and local apprenticeships.
Concerns about mainstream placement for some pupils
George Lawlor argued that children who attend schools like Our Lady of Fatima often struggle with mental health or high anxiety and would not flourish if compelled into mainstream settings. He said smaller student numbers and specialised supports in such schools remove anxiety and allow pupils to access the curriculum successfully.
Call for re-examination of Circular 39
He urged the minister to re-examine Circular 39 2025 for the benefit of similar special schools across the country, stressing that the model at Our Lady of Fatima has worked and is at risk. He cited testimony from Darrell Cogley, chairperson of the school parents' association, who described how his daughter flourished after moving from mainstream schools to the specialised environment.
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Transcript
At the outset, I would like to thank all the stakeholders of this review, but I want to speak to the proposed changes to the special school system. Circular 39 of 2025 in part refers to the designation of special schools under the plan. The Department and the NCSE have said they intend to commence work on reviewing the designation of existing special schools to ensure that all special schools respond to the needs of children in their local region. I want to use the example of Our Lady of Fatima's special school in my own Wexford town, which caters for children with mild general learning disabilities and has recently offered Leaving Cert applied exams to its students. This has seen some of its former pupils go on to third level and have been accepted to apprenticeship programs locally. However, under the Department's new plans, pupils may be required to attend mainstream schools in their locality rather than travel to the likes of Our Lady of Fatima for their education. We need to stand up for the children with a mild general learning disability because they thrive in places like Our Lady of Fatima, they thrive in what these schools offer them. Children who attend special schools like Our Lady of Fatima definitely struggle for many different reasons, mental health or high anxiety levels, if they were compelled to go to a mainstream school. The students, in the likes of Our Lady of Fatima in Wexford town, flourish. This school offers primary curriculum, junior cert level, level 3 subjects and have started senior cycle level 2 and the Leaving Cert applied. They receive the same as they would in a mainstream, however the difference is the numbers of students is smaller, the anxiety they would have felt in a mainstream school has been taken away. They can attend to their needs at Our Lady of Fatima and as a result the students in this wonderful school and wonderful schools like it across the country are successful in accessing the curriculum. The argument that no child should pass a school that is right beside their house is understood, but schools such as I have mentioned should be an option for parents who want to send their children there. The policy outlined in circle 39 creates the risk of students being very unhappy in an environment where they don't flourish. The success of the children that Our Lady of Fatima has at their leave school is proof of how it works. There is a really strong chance that these students would not have been able to achieve that in a mainstream setting. Our Lady of Fatima is a model that has worked and the feeling now is that this model is at risk and that the education of the children who are content anxiety free is at risk. Darrell Cogley, the chairperson of the school parents' association has a daughter who, having originally attended mainstream schools, moved to Our Lady of Fatima and he said that the children like his daughter require a specialised school, educational environment and dedicated support and she got it at Our Lady of Fatima and continues to flourish on a day to day basis. Minister I ask you to re-examine circular 39 2025 for the benefit of these wonderful schools right across the country. of these wonderful children have provided a lot ofabilities and can only affect this the environment. . . .