I was FURIOUS!!!

[TylersMum]

This is the original article, front page spread:

 

Bright girl put in bottom class

 

From the archive, first published Friday 16th Sep 2005.

 

A BRIGHT schoolgirl could be dumped in a special needs class because of a shortage of places. Shona McCormack, 14, of Freshbrook, is at the centre of an education storm.

 

Education bosses have ruled that Shona ? who is meant to be studying for her GCSEs ? must be found a place at Greendown School. But headteacher Steve O'Sullivan insists there are no places.

 

Now it is likely Shona will be placed in bottom sets ? which do have a handful of places ? alongside less able children. Her parents are furious about the decision, claiming their daughter's education will suffer.

 

Mum Yvonne, 49, said: "I do not want my daughter colouring in with crayons while her friends are preparing for their GCSEs.

 

"The work will not be challenging enough for her. She is a bright girl and is very good at languages ? she wants to be an interpreter when she is older."

 

Mrs McCormack and her painter and decorator husband, George, 37, who had lived in Swindon for 20 years ? encountered problems in May when the family returned to the UK after 12-months in Lanzarote.

 

Shona ? a former Ridgeway School pupil ? was told she could not return there as there were no places. Greendown and Bradon Forest schools were also full. The family contacted Swindon LEA, which arranged a meeting on September 6 and an appeals panel ruled a place should be found for Shona at Greendown.

 

Mr O'Sullivan was unable to attend the meeting due to other commitments. He claims he was not told of the meeting until September 1. He says Year 10 is at maximum capacity with 285 pupils.

 

All the top sets for core subjects like maths, English and science are full and the only vacant places are those in lower sets ? designed for pupils who struggle with academic work.

 

Mr O'Sullivan said: "I will be writing to Swindon LEA to express my disappointment. "The LEA do not have a full understanding of how schools are organised ? you only get that when you design timetables.

 

"This is not good for the school and it is not good for Shona. We will try to accommodate Shona as best as we can but we only have a certain number of desks and if we are at capacity there is not a lot I can do.

 

"We will do our best until there is movement in the groups. "It is proven that high class numbers leads to lower achievement. I have to consider the impact on other pupils at Greendown."

 

Shona, who has not received any formal schooling since leaving her �5,000-a-year school in Lanzarote, said: "All my friends have started their coursework ? I'm being left behind.

 

"I am getting really stressed by all this. I just want to learn."

 

Coun Garry Perkins, Swindon Council's lead member for education, said: "The decision was made by an independent panel. "It is unfortunate the head could not attend the meeting to explain the school's position.

 

"It is now down to Mr O'Sullivan and Greendown to ensure the girl gets the best possible education. "Knowing Mr O'Sullivan I am convinced that the girl will get that."

 

A special needs teacher with 20 years experience working in Swindon Schools, who has asked not to be named, said: "Every child is different. The LEA just wants to place a child somewhere but if you put a child who does not have any kind of learning disability into a low group that child will become bored and frustrated. His or her education could suffer."

 

 

And then THIS was my response, printed the next day:

 

RE: Bright girl put in bottom class. While I agree that every child is entitled to an education at the right level, who does Mrs McCormack think she is, stereotyping those who are less academic?

 

She doesn't want her daughter "colouring with crayons" while her peers are studying for GCSEs.

 

The woman obviously has no idea of special needs or how these children are taught, maybe that is due to 12 months abroad, putting her daughter in a �5,000 school. If only special needs children had such exposure, maybe "colouring with crayons" wouldn't be on the curriculum for them.

 

 

N Funnell

 

The cheek of the woman, I was hopping mad!!!!!

Edited September 26, 2005 by TylersMum

[TylersMum]

Just saw this other response to the same article:

 

 

Proud parent

 

I AM writing in amazement at the ignorance of some people.

 

I am referring to the comments of Mrs McCormack in your article "Bright girl put in bottom class" (Friday September 16).

 

Mrs McCormack is quoted as saying: "I do not want my daughter colouring in with crayons while her friends are preparing for their GCSEs."

 

As a parent of a child with learning difficulties I can assure her that they do not spend their day colouring in with crayons!

 

They are working very hard to overcome their individual difficulties and ignorant comments like these do not help.

 

A very proud parent of a hard working child.

 

 

MRS WICKS

 

Go Mrs Wicks - whoever you may be!!!!

[007paul007]

What is happenning in Swindon lately , what with this and the article in the mirror the other day ?

 

A Tory deputy mayor has sparked outrage by calling for disabled kids to be guillotined to avoid wasting cash on their care.

Retired GP Owen Lister made his sick suggestion to fellow councillors as they discussed sending the youngsters to a �3,000 a week care home.

Mr Lister, 79, told them " I would guillotine them."

He has now quit as Deputy mayor but yesterday stood by his outburst.

He said " I indicated at that point that perhaps the guillotine might be better. These are children you can't educate. It's merely a matter of caring for them until they die. The only difference between a terminally ill patient and a severely handicapped child is time." The councillor, of Swindon, Wilts, argued the funds should instead be used to cut NHS waiting lists.

He added " It shows how peculiar we are as a society on this matter that we spend this vast amount of money caring for disabled youngsters to very little purpose at all. It would be better spent on those who might actually benefit, such as cancer sufferers. We have 5,800 people waiting to go into hospital in Swindon. A percentage of those will die as a result of waiting too long ."

His remarks came as the borough council's children committee debated putting youngsters in a Cornwall home.

Labour councillor Fay Howard said " There was a slight pause and looks of disbelief. Everyone was totally shocked."

Labour colleague Barrie Thompson, the committees vice chairman, likened Lister to one of Hitlers henchmen. He said " The last time I heard remarks like that were from Heinrich Himmler ."

And the Disability Rights Commission added " It's chilling that an elected representative with responsibilities for deciding on support to disabled children should view the slaughter of innocents as legitimate public comment."

Mr Lister also quit the childrens committee and now faces a council probe.

A council spokeswoman said " He recognised he'd said something deeply inappropriate that could cause offence and resigned straight away. "

 

Don't seem to know what the world is coming to !!

[TylersMum]

That particular Councillor has, thankfully, stepped down. I actually work for the Council so have to deal with Councillors on a regular basis, most of them are great but its those like Dr Lister that give Swindon the bad name it is trying to shake off.

 

The help/support we've had for Tyler has been excellent, its just the odd 'clanger' that undoes all the good stuff!!!!

 

At least I had my say, quite directly, with the 'crayon' thing!!!

Edited September 27, 2005 by TylersMum

[CarerQuie]

It just goes to show that there is still a lot of ignorance around.Perhps we can put that Mother in the remedial class and teach her a thing or two;no crayons permitted!!!xx