Disability Groups Protest New Special Classes

0:00I'm Cory with the story, and you've been listening to Europe News today, AI-powered European coverage. Disability advocacy groups, as I am, and inclusion Ireland, are pushing for a pause on the Department of Education's new special class model. The department just announced 45 new special classes for the upcoming school year, including five so-called inclusive special classes. But these groups say there was zero consultation with parents, kids, or their reps before the big reveal. They showed up at a special education forum meeting to air their concerns and dropped a joint statement today. Key issues include the name, inclusive special class, how these setups will actually work day-to-day, and making sure options stay child-centered, with clear, opt-out rights for families. Parents are freaking out nationwide, with a ton of questions flooding in, according to S.I.M. CEO Adam Harris. He called off the government's pattern of skipping input on special ed changes, like the recent special needs assistant drama.

1:00Even Sin Fein, T.D. Shonang Nhi Raga Lai, slammed it as a sneaky way to bump up class sizes without extra staff or real inclusion. The advocates want the department to explain the reasoning behind this, and prove it's about true inclusion, not just cutting costs. Harris stressed that the kids hit hardest by these policies are even at the table. The department plans to share more details and meet again next Wednesday afternoon, while the groups keep rallying families and pushing for, co-design fixes that put kids first.