Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 5

Memorandum from the Down's Syndrome Association

  I would like to thank the Committee for seeking information from the DSA with regards to special needs education and public expenditure.

  Unfortunately due to the specific nature of your enquiries the Association is unable to respond to the majority of the questions.

  As a parent Association we can confirm that education is a major concern for many of our parents. We are aware of problems with regard to delays in assessment and statementing in certain Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland. This does vary between Boards.

  Our parents would also be concerned that their child with Down's syndrome is seen as one of a group rather than being assessed and provided for as an individual. We would like to see provision specified clearly in the children's Statement of Special Education Needs so that the parent is quite clear about the provision which their child will receive thereby negating the need for costly and time consuming meetings and ultimately appeal to the Special Education Needs Tribunal.

25 March 1998


 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 1999
Prepared 19 April 1999