Protest at cuts to education services for deaf in Warwickshire

A PROTEST has been launched over cuts to education funding for deaf children in Warwickshire writes Martin Bagot for the Coventry Telegraph (30/01/12).

The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) parked its Listening Bus in the centre of Stratford on Saturday to kickstart a petition over cuts to specialist school services for 100 deaf pupils in schools across the county.

The NDCS submitted a Freedom of Information request to Warwickshire County Council which revealed schools would now be charged for specialist teaching support for deaf pupils with “lower levels of need”. This would apply to 100 of the 230 deaf children in the county.

Jo Campion, NDCS deputy director of policy and campaigns, said: “The support that Warwickshire County Council is refusing to fund for many deaf children is not an optional extra – it is vital for deaf children to be able to achieve at school.
“We’re calling on the council to reverse the move to charge schools for a service that deaf children rely on to learn.”

The NDCS says the cut means schools are now charged for time with specialist Teachers of the Deaf and teaching assistants. It means schools could stop providing these services.

The charity claims the council has “kept parents in the dark” about the changes, and says mums and dads only found out when the support staff were withdrawn.
At least 63 schools will not receive funding for specialist staff who help pupils develop language skills and access to education.

Affected schools would have to pay for up to £85 for hourly support from an expert Teacher of the Deaf and £285 for daily support, the charity says.

Nuneaton mum Emma Guest’s five-year-old twin girls, Daisy and Melissa, have already lost their specialist teaching assistant. She said: “Without all the specialist support that Daisy and Melissa have received, they would not be where they are now. “If the support is taken away my daughters will fall behind at school.”

A county council spokesperson said: “The council is committed to providing support to deaf children who are not yet in school and those in school with higher levels of need. We have to focus those resources on children who have the highest needs. “It is the responsibility of schools to provide for children with lower levels of need. We are to meet shortly with representatives from the NDC Society to discuss with them our provision.”