Passion for work SNAs do clear in support at Mullingar protest

SNAs, their teacher colleagues, parents and pupils made clear their displeasure with government moves on funding when they gathered for a rally on the Market Square in Mullingar last week.

That the protest had no obvious leader, and was almost spontaneous in its nature (though it had been planned), added to its potency. Around 150 people had congregated on the Square and everyone seemed to be waiting for things to start. When one man stepped up and invited speakers to have their say, Erin, a primary age pupil from Longford, volunteered to be first, and after her, the gates were open and a series of speakers took their turns to tell the Dept of Education, the minister and other politicians what they thought about cutting resources for SNAs.

The common theme along with the opposition to any such cuts was the passion the remarks were delivered with.

Erin concluded hers by saying “it’s disgraceful, it’s wrong”, and was followed by John Fitzpatrick representing the Longford Westmeath branch of Down Syndrome Ireland, who said cuts are a government move to “try to drive children out of mainstream schools – that’s what it looks like to us – and back into special education. They’re not being inclusive. We call on Robert Troy and Peter Bourke, our local TDs and ministers, to support us in this and ensure that this is not just a pause and they’ll properly review the circular and give our children a fair chance at inclusion.”

Phoenix, a young woman whose remarks were inaudible till Damien Rooney sorted a mic and amplifier, was one of the first speakers at the protest, and she didn’t let the sound problems hinder her “I know how much they do,” she said. “While teachers doing the teaching, the SNAs get the child safe, comfortable and physically healthy and able to learn. Without SNAs, teachers can’t do it. It just won’t happen, things fall apart. I’ve seen the issues with a loss of SNAs, kids struggling, kids who can’t focus, can’t learn, can’t function, and do way worse in school because they don’t have the valuable resources SNAs give them. No more SNA cuts,” she concluded to enthusiastic applause.

Others speakers were Frank Kenny and Shirley Gorman from Autism Families Westmeath, June Hayes, an SNA from St Colman’s NS, Mullingar, Claire Dorr, principal of Presentation Senior School, Mullingar, and Lorraine Maher, an SNA, representing the Fórsa trade union. She said she “believes in fairness and that every child deserves their education needs to be met”.

“This movement, and I think it’s a movement, is important, and we demand hard work, transparency, engagement, and reform between Minister Naughton and the NCSE. Trust needs to be restored; it’s broken, badly broken. Nobody wants this fight and for many individuals and families it’s a continual fight.

“Look at this today in Mullingar and nationwide. We are not going away, not a chance. We care for these children and their families. I stand with my colleagues, who give their skills, patience and care every day. As SNAs, we are made aware of our duty of care while the government and NCSE are forgetting their duty of care. This is not a special favour, this is a fundamental right. We are not a luxury, we are a necessity. Let these students get on with living, being educated and growing up. Stand together, support each other and keep this topical.”

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner after the protest, Ursula Dunne, an SNA at Sauna NS, said that last week she was told her job was cut and since that she has heard nothing about redeployment. Making the point about uncertainty in schools, she said: “It’s an unknown for September for me, what’s going to happen. And knowing the kids I was leaving behind as well, it was devastating. It’s people’s lives, kids’ lives, parents’ lives and there’s the backlash on teachers and their workloads. We (SNAs) are vital within a class.

“Now, since they’ve called a stop, all of a sudden I’m to assume that my job is back in September. But I’ve got no clarity on that, there’s been no email to say, ‘you’re back, your job is safe for September’. They’re not giving us facts – and this is how we live year in, year out.”

Una McLoughlin, an SNA at St Joseph’s NS, Rathwire, has been doing the job for 21 years (19 years at St Joseph’s) and in that time, she says the Dept of Education have tied “tried to take away the joy from the work we do and the pleasure we take in seeing those kids thrive” with rules and red tape.

Una says being an SNA is the only job you do, that if you do it well, you lose it, meaning that children they work with go on to thrive in education and after they leave school, thanks to the strong foundation their SNAs provided in their early years.

Cllr Julie McCourt of Sinn Féin briefly addressed the gathering; no other local councillors or TDs spoke.

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