Special needs: Review of plans to cut nursery school hours

The cuts would have affected disabled children in special schools who offered "full-time" places of 4.5 hours a day

The Education Authority (EA) has begun a review of its plans to cut hours for pupils at special school nurseries.

In March, the BBC revealed that the EA proposed to cut pre-school provision for pupils in special school nurseries from 22.5 hours a week to 12.5 hours.

The cut would have affected disabled children in special schools offered "full-time" places of 4.5 hours a day.

That decision was criticised by former education minister John O'Dowd who ordered the EA to review it.

The EA subsequently postponed the plans and introduced interim arrangements in a number of special schools.

As a result, pupils at six special school nurseries had their hours of attendance cut from September 2016, while eight continue to operate nursery classes on a full-time basis.

'Positive step'

As part of the review, EA officials are to meet special school principals, teachers and parents of children with special needs.

A full public consultation on the plans will then take place in January 2017, with a final announcement on the way forward expected in April 2017.

The full implementation of any new arrangements will begin in the 2018-19 school year.

The Education Authority's chair Sharon O'Connor said that they wanted to provide the best possible support for children with special needs.

"This is a positive step towards ensuring that the special education provision for nursery age children is developed with full consideration of the views of the widest possible range of stakeholders," she said.

"We would welcome the views of everyone who has an interest in this work."