'Why is my son's education being denied to him?'

Caroline says she will continue to push for her son's right to an education

A 17-year-old boy who cannot start special school without further psychological assessment is being denied his right to education, his mother has said.

Caroline Campbell’s son Oscar has complex needs and has a special educational needs (SEN) statement.

She said he had previously attended a mainstream school’s autism unit but that had become too stressful for him.

Oscar, from Londonderry, now has a place at a special school, but his mum said she has been told by the Education Authority (EA) he cannot attend until he has been further assessed.

This wait, she said, leaves Oscar in limbo and she told BBC News NI she has concerns he "won't get into school this year".

In a statement, the EA said it is “committed to ensuring all children and young people with a statement of SEN receive a placement which meets their individual needs and enables them to reach their full potential”.

“September and we are back at school, all the children, all the photographs going up all over social media, and unfortunately my son is home with me full-time,” Ms Campbell told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme.

“My question is why is his education being denied to him?” she said.

Oscar's mum said she removed him from mainstream school where he found it difficult to cope

Ms Campbell said she had taken the decision to remove Oscar from a mainstream school where he was not coping.

“He had always been in an autism unit within a mainstream school and offered great support, but the last two years has seen him not engaging in school, his mental health was declining and it was affecting his whole life – so I made the decision,” she continued.

Ms Campbell said the EA want another assessment carried out because Oscar is making the move.

“His cognitive scores are too high, they (the EA) say, for him to be placed in specialist school so I am waiting on an education psychologist to get back to me for an assessment," she said.

“I know there is a place in this specialist school, it’s ideal for him, we have been down to the school and met with teachers, but as yet I cannot get that sign-off to get him the move down there.”

'Learn life-skills'

That makes life very difficult for Oscar and his family, his mother said.

“I am his only social connection, he needs to be out with his peers."

Oscar, she added, is at present confined to “runs out in the car” with herself once or twice a day.

Were he able to take up his school place, she said, he would be with people of his own age, he would “learn life-skills” and be happy.

She fears the required assessment could take months, maybe years.

Ms Campbell said she will continue to push for her son.

“I will keep being his voice and continue to fight for him because that’s all as a parent that I can do.”

East Londonderry SDLP assembly member Cara Hunter said “red tape” was “blocking Oscar from his fundamental right to an education".

“We really have to ask questions as to why this child is being treated any different to any other,” she told the BBC on Wednesday.

Ms Hunter said while the number of pupils with a SEN statement continued to increase, “we are not seeing the level of investment necessary to provide appropriate places for those children”.

The EA said its priority was “to engage directly with schools and families, to ensure the necessary resources are in place”.