The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has condemned a decision to remove the requirement for professional Assessment of Need (AON) reports for children who wish to enter special classes and special schools.
The decision was announced in a communication from the Department of Children, which said the Department of Education and Youth would shortly agree a new process to remove the requirement.
The INTO said the decision has been made without any consultation or prior notification to teachers or their unions.
It is seeking immediate engagement from the Department of Education and Youth, saying "schools and teachers cannot continue to respond to a rolling cycle of ministerial pronouncements and initiatives while the necessary supports for children with special educational are still not where they need to be".
Calling the unexpected announcement "a profound breach of trust", the union said in a statement that teachers were already under intense strain and "cannot be expected to absorb further major system change, particularly when announced through the media rather than formal channels of consultation".
The Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005 and is under the remit of the Health Service Executive.
Elaborating on the Department of Children announcement, a spokesperson for Minister for Education and Youth Hildegard Naughton said her department "will develop a process for determining eligibility for specialist education settings that is education-based and needs-led".
It said it would work with all concerned, including unions, to ensure a child-centred approach.
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The minister is expected to bring this revised approach to Cabinet early in the new year, "with a view to eliminating unnecessary pressure on Assessment of Need waiting lists," the spokesperson said.
Explaining the decision to remove the requirement for an AON, the Department of Education and Youth said there is evidence that, in areas where disability services are unable to meet the full range of needs of children and young people, such as for early intervention, therapy supports and/or respite, many families are choosing to apply to all local services, regardless of whether this is the appropriate route for provision for their child.
"In these circumstances, provision of education services is viewed by some, as being a driver for the AON process, with families seeking an AON to secure a diagnosis," the spokesperson said.
"While a diagnosis is currently required to access a special class or a special school, this does not have to be linked to an AON."
'Teachers were not consulted'
INTO General Secretary John Boyle accused the department of bad faith.
"Teachers were not consulted, briefed or even informed in advance of these proposals. That is bad faith, pure and simple," he said.
"Meaningful consultation is the absolute minimum that should be expected when any changes are proposed to a system that has been dogged by controversy and concern for years.
"It is grossly unfair that Government departments are using vulnerable children as political footballs after failing to provide them with timely assessments and therapeutic supports."
The INTO said it will raise the matter at the Primary Education Forum, which meets tomorrow, and that its Central Executive Committee will meet in the coming days to consider the issue fully.
