|
|
Moville boy denied school bus
place
18.09.08
Parents appeal after
Scoil Iosagain pupil’s application for bus place
turned down
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen
Independent
AN eight-year old Moville boy who suffers from
severe dyslexia has been refused a place on the
school bus which transports children with learning
difficulties from Moville to Scoil Iosagain.
The parents of eight year old Aaron Wingham, who
started lessons at the Buncrana school last Monday,
take turns making the near 50 mile round trip twice
daily to Scoil Iosagain after their application to
for school transport made to the National Council
for Special Education was turned down at local
level.
Aaron was assessed by an educational psychologist
when he was six and found to have severe dyslexia.
His parents, Elaine McCartney and Brian Wingham,
were advised to send him to Scoil Iosagain, a school
that specialises in teaching kids with learning
difficulties.
Aaron was enrolled in the spring but on the 25th of
August Aaron’s mother, Elaine, was informed by
telephone that his application for transport was
turned down because the decision to send Aaron to
Scoil Iosagain was one of parental choice, despite
the fact that the application came with a cover
letter from his educational psychologist
highlighting his condition. A writing confirmation
of the decision arrived last Thursday.
Aaron’s parents are refusing to accept the NCSE
decision. |
 |
“It’s extremely
frustrating, but his mother and I are determined to
fight this decision, because Scoil Iosagain is the
best place for Aaron to be. Aaron is extremely
bright, and excels at maths but is in the lowest
percentile when it comes to writing and spelling.
“At Scoil Iosagain he is provided with different
approaches that will unlock how he learns. A couple
of years at Scoil Iosagain will vital for his future
education,” said Mr Wingham.
“We are lucky in Inishowen to have a school that
cater for children |
with learning
difficulties, but if Aaron can’t get a place on the
transport provided we won’t be able to keep him at
Scoil Iosagain,” continued Mr Wingham, whose son
previously attended Gaelscoil Cois Feabhaill in
Moville with his 10 year old sister Caitlin.
“Elaine has talked to the other parents of children
who travel on the bus. We are not the only ones to
have had difficulties getting children on that
school bus. One mother had to drive her son to
Buncrana for a month before her son was allowed to
travel with the other children, said Mr Wingham.
Aaron’s father is a retained fireman and his mother
works as a nurse at Altnagelvin hospital, where she
routinely works nights.
“This week I will get home just before 10am and have
to leave at two to pick Aaron up, I will be very
tired and not in the safest state to drive.”
Aaron’s mother cannot understand why her son has
been refused a place on the school bus, but
speculates that decision was made for financial
reasons.
A new application, with letters of support from
Aaron’s former principal at Gaelscoil Cois Feabhaill,
his speech therapist and Senator Cecilia Keaveney
has been sent to the NCSE head office in Dublin and
his parents are hopeful the decision will be
reversed. |
|
