Visitas guiadas al Lugar de la Memoria

T he them e o f ch oice em erged across all cases in relation to research questions 1 and 4, This them e illustrated the role played b y professionals, such as teachers and p sy ch o log ists, in the transfer process and is subdivided into tw o areas, includ ing the d ecision -m ak in g process and access to m ainstream post-primary schools.

M any parents, across all cases, described h o w the d ecisio n to transfer their children to a special sch oo l for pup ils with M G LD w as based on the recom m endations o f teachers and principals in m ainstream schools. This usually happened w h en the pupil reached the senior classes in prim ary sch o ols. It w as usually a resource teacher or the principal w ho first suggested that parents should consider a placem ent for the pupil in a special school. S om e o f the parents, includ ing Parent 3D , indicated that they had not considered a special sch ool placem ent for their children until this recom m endation w as made:

I h a d n e v e r h e a r d o f D e v e r u n til th e p r in c ip a l m e n tio n e d it h e r e on th e p h o n e o n e e v e n in g s h e r a n g m e a n d s h e s a id d o y o u k n o w w h e r e it is a n d I s a i d n o t a clu e . .. .(Parent3D )

M any parents in case B described how they had been advised to accept, or seek, a placem ent in a special sch ool from principals and teachers in post-prim ary sch ools. Som e, lik e Parent 7B, described h ow this recom m endation was m ade based on the p u p ils’ perform ance in school entrance exam inations:

The h e a d m a s te r s a i d w h en he d id th e e n tra n c e exam , h e s a i d h e w o u l d n ’t k e e p up a n d he s a i d th a t b y 1 6 h e 'd p r o b a b ly h a ve le ft s c h o o l a n d b e o n th e str e e t, he c o u l d n ’t c o p e . S o t h a t ’s a c tu a lly w h y w e d e c id e d o n B. . . .(Parent 7B )

A sm all num ber o f parents w ere told that their children could b e exclud ed from cla sses as they w ou ld not be able to access the curriculum in post-prim ary sch o o ls. Parent 2B described how she w a s sum m oned to the post-primary sch ool after her son had started and asked to consider an alternative placem ent:

T h ey r e a liz e d th a t th e y j u s t c o u ld n ’t c a te r f o r him . S o t h a t ’s w h y, a p a r t f r o m w o r r y in g a b o u t him , s h e c a lle d m e in to s e e i f th e re w a s a n y th in g e ls e I c o u ld d o f o r him , g e t him tr a n s f e r r e d s o m e w h e r e ....( ? exeat 2B )

Parent 1A w a s told that w h ile her child could enrol in the sch o o l, sh e w ou ld probably be excluded from participating in the curriculum due to her learning difficulties:

S o w e w e n t to th e m a in stre a m sc h o o ls a n d w e s p o k e to th e p r i n c i p a l a n d h e s a i d th a t w h e re h e w o u ld b e w e lc o m e to h a v e h er but, a c c o r d in g to h e r a c a d e m ic r e c o r d s h e w o u ld n 't b e a b le to s i t J u n io r C e r t o r a n y th in g lik e th a t a n d h e a ls o f e lt, h e w as o f th e op in io n , th a t s h e m ig h t e n d u p in th e o ffice w ith the s e c r e ta r y a n d that, d o in g little j o b s , y o u k n o w ....(Parent 1A)

For so m e parents, the recom m endation o f placem ent in a special sch o ol cam e from a professional outside the sch ool, including p sych ologists, or other agencies in volved in the assessm ent and intervention process. Parent 5A w as am ong these:

I g o t h im r e a s s e s s e d a n d th e s c h o o l h a d r e c o m m e n d e d a n d th e p s y c h ia tr is t r e c o m m e n d e d th a t he g o to a s p e c ia l n e e d s sc h o o l. The m a n s a i d . . . h e ’l l a lw a y s b e th e b o tto m o f th e c la s s in m a in stre a m b u t h e ’11 b e up s tr a ig h t y o u k n o w , in th e to p tw o o r th ree, in s p e c ia l n e e d s .... (Parent 5A)

T w o parents, including Parent 6B, stated that they had been refused a place for their children in post-primary sc h o o ls due to the pupils’ SEN:

I w a s tr y in g to k e e p h er loca l. I w a n te d to k e e p h e r in m a in stre a m . I d id n ’t w a n t a s p e c ia l sc h o o l. I tr ie d o n e in K b u t th e y s a i d no, th e y d id n 7 ta k e s p e c ia l n e e d s c h ild r e n .. ..(Parent 6B )

Principals and teachers in the special sch ools suggested that m ost referrals o f pupils to the sch ool cam e directly from mainstream schools or p sych ologists. This usually happened w h en pupils were in the senior end o f primary, although principals stated that pupils w ere som etim es referred at an earlier stage. Teacher 2B agreed that m ost pupils transferred at the end o f primary sch o ol based on the recom m endation o f teachers and p sych ologists:

A lo t o f th e m tr a n s f e r r e d j u s t a fte r sixth c la ss. I t w a s on a re c o m m e n d a tio n , th e y w e r e n ’t k e e p in g up in p r im a ry . The te a c h e r s f e lt, a n d o b v io u s ly th e p s y c h o lo g is ts f e l t , th a t th e y w o u l d n ’t h a c k it a s su ch in a m a in s tr e a m p o s t- p r im a r y s c h o o l s o th e y w e r e r e c o m m e n d e d to c o m e h e r e .... (Teacher 2B )

Principal B suggested that professionals, including teachers, principals, p sy ch olo gists or social workers w ere m ore involved w ith the transfer process w here it w as considered that parents w ere reluctant to instigate the process o f transfer o f pupils to the special school:

I th in k th a t te a c h e r s a n d p s y c h o lo g is ts h a v e m o re in clin ed , o r e v e n s o c ia l w o r k e r s a r e in c lin e d to d o it i f th e y th in k p a r e n ts a r e re lu c ta n t o r h a v in g d iffic u ltie s m a k in g th a t k in d o f c o n t a c t... .(Principal B)

N ot all m ainstream principals, or teachers, at primary and post-prim ary lev e ls stated that they had m ade recom m endations to parents to seek placem ent for a pupil in a special school. One principal o f a primary sch ool said that they advised, rather than recom m ended, that the special sch ool w as the best placem ent for a pupil:

T h e y ’d lo o k f o r o u r a d v ic e a n d in th a t c o n v e r s a tio n th e id e a o f a s p e c ia l s c h o o l m ig h t c o m e up. T h ey m a y r a is e it in itia lly o r s o m e tim e s th e s c h o o l m ig h t p u t it th e r e a s an o p tio n . . .. Principal mainstream primary 2 A

One principal o f a primary sch ool in case A suggested that the recom m endation o f a placem ent in a special sch o ol for pupils w ith M G L D w a s o n ly m ade to parents w h o were less lik ely to op p ose such a recom m endation:

G e n e ra lly th e ir d e s ir e w o u ld b e to s e n d th em to a m a in s tr e a m s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l a n d g e n e r a lly it w o u ld n t b e r e c o m m e n d e d i f it w a s f e l t th e p a r e n t w o u ld b e a g a in s t

i t .. ..(Principal m ainstream primary 1 A)

W hile principals o f post-prim ary schools stated that they w o u ld not refuse to enrol a pupil on the basis o f SE N , on e principal o f a post-prim ary sch ool in case A su ggested that som e principals w ere reluctant to enrol pupils i f they felt that the sch oo l did not h ave adequate resources to support pupils, esp ecia lly where behavioural d ifficu lties w ere involved:

You s e e th e w h o le id e a is th a t y o u do n 't w a n t to g e t th e n a m e o f ta k in g p e o p l e in j u s t to e x p e l th em a fte r w a r d s b e c a u se o f th e b e h a v io u r a l p a tte r n s o r b e c a u s e o f e m o tio n a l d iffic u ltie s th a t y o u m a y n o t be a b le to c o p e w ith in th e s c h o o l. ....(Principal m ainstream post-prim ary A )

In response to questions about the decision to com e to the special sch oo ls, the m ajority o f pupils indicated that it had been their parents’ d ecision to send them to their present school. M ost pupils, including Pupil ID , stated that they had been told b y their parents that they w ere g o in g to the special schools:

W hy did you pick C ase D?

B a s ic a lly I th in k m y m o th e r d id th a t ....(Pupil ID , m ale, aged 14)

O nly tw o pupils indicated that they had m ade the d ecision to transfer w ith their parents. Pupil 2 A w as o n e o f these:

W e c a m e to v is it th e s c h o o l to s e e w h a t it w a s lik e a n d then m e a n d m o m s a t d o w n a n d c h a tte d a b o u t th e s c h o o l a n d I s a id I f e e l f i n e a b o u t g o in g to th is s c h o o l a n d th en s h e r a n g th e s c h o o l a n d s a id is R g o in g to th e s c h o o l a n d th e y s a i d y e s . S o I w a s r e a lly h a p p y th e n ....(Pupil 2 A , fem ale, aged 13)

Pupil 3C su ggested that the d ecision to transfer to the special sch o o l w as m ade b y her teachers in m ainstream primary school: