New additional needs class in Athlone school won't open in 2022

The new additional needs class in Athlone Community College, which was publicly announced by the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB) last July, is now not expected to open until the new year.

Baylough resident Michelle Lynch, whose son Gareth has autism and is one of the six students enrolled in the class, said she was told by school management last week that it was unlikely to be up and running until after Christmas.

"I honestly thought Gareth would be starting after Halloween. I didn't think I'd be waiting until 2023 (for the new class)," Ms Lynch told the Westmeath Independent.

She said she would now have to try to arrange tutors to home-school her son for the coming months.

Michelle added that, while her son was "a student at Athlone Community College on paper" he had not actually been in the school before a meeting which they had both attended there a few days ago.

"Since last November, when the applications came out for the different secondary schools, I've been searching and trying get to get Gareth a place.

"Now that I have finally gotten him into a place, there's no sign of it opening. I don't know what to be telling the child," she said.

The Autism Parents Athlone advocacy group said the delay in opening the class had come as a major setback.

"It's very, very disappointing," commented Claire Earley of Autism Parents Athlone. "It has really knocked us back that it's taking so long. It's the children that are suffering because of it. They have no structure, no routine."

The delay was also criticised by Athlone councillor Frankie Keena, who accused the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) of "dragging their heels" in relation to the staffing of the class.

Cllr Keena said the ongoing support being provided by the principal of Athlone Community College, Eileen Donohoe, towards the setting up of the new class was appreciated.

"The registration process for this class has been completed by Athlone Community College, with six students enrolled.

"It is planned to locate this class within the existing building by the relocation of an existing class into a new prefab unit. This is a temporary arrangement until a new build is in place.

"While both Athlone Community College and the LWETB have completed their requirements to date, they are now waiting for further action to be taken at Department and NCSE level before they can proceed.

"Six weeks ago, I stated I would be really disappointed if this class was not up and running in the school by Halloween. In the interim period, I repeated my ongoing strong representations to various Oireachtas members to make sure this happened."

However, he was "annoyed and frustrated" by the "the slow pace of any progress" since then.

"I am told that the Department has sanctioned the prefab and now the onus is on (construction firm) BAM to secure it. Athlone Community College was built through a public private partnership process, thus the involvement of BAM."

Cllr Keena said the latest feedback he had received was that the prefab would not be delivered "until December at the earliest".

He added that he was "disgusted with the way the NCSE is dragging its heels in sanctioning the necessary staff" to work in the new class.

"Do they not realise that these children are entitled to, and urgently need access to, all of the necessary educational resources, just like their peers? It is really a blatant type of discrimination, and it needs to be addressed immediately.

"I am calling on Minister Josepha Madigan, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, to immediately intervene and sort out this mess. I recall hearing her mentioning Athlone Community College earlier this year on this matter. Action is now needed, not words.

In the Dáil, Westmeath TD Robert Troy was told a timeframe for delivery of the prefab to the school was expected to be finalised within days, and that "all stakeholders are aware this accommodation is urgently needed".