Left in the dark over schools
Changed. The council keep saying it’s going to get better.
“Parents have received letters asking them if they wouldn’t mind transporting their children to school.
“They don’t even know where that’s going to be.”
Peyton’s dad Stuart added: “A lot of these children are autistic and can’t handle change. New places and new people scare them and they need additional help.
“We are now almost midway through February and pretty much every parent with an ASN child in North Lanarkshire is still in the dark about where they will be attending high school after the summer.”
Colette Hamilton’s son Saul, 11, attends Orchard Primary in Overtown.
The mum from Newmains claims the wait to discover which school he will be going to is causing him and the family unnecessary stress.
Colette said: “Saul’s anxiety is through the roof. He is telling me he is worried and anxious, I’ve never seen him so stressed.
“He holds it together at school but it’s affecting his behaviour at home. I feel as if we’ve went back to where we were when he was first diagnosed.
“They could put the applications in much earlier. That would help prevent things getting to this stage.
“We had a meeting with the school in January last year. How an application can’t go in at that stage is beyond me.
“We had another meeting in September and the application went in then. We were told we would find out by the end of January where he would be going but every time we phone they tell us it will be next week, then the next.
“To add insult to injury we get a letter in asking if we will need transport provided to take them to school. How are we meant to know?
“We’ve to assume our children will go to mainstream schools until told otherwise, but when your child doesn’t go to a mainstream primary it’s quite derogatory.
“They seem to be failing the kids at every turn; they are taking Kilbowie away, and fighting about transport, they’re not giving enough time for their transition.
“It’s very poor and worse than it was seven years ago when Saul was starting primary — and that was hard enough.”
And it’s not only children who are moving to high school who face the anxious wait, the parents of those starting primary school also face uncertainty.
“When they’re starting P1 you don’t find out where your child is going until you register them at a mainstream school”, Colette added.
“It just feels as if the children are treated like second class citizens.”
Parents have written to the council and contacted local politicians as they seek to prevent other parents being left in limbo in future years.
Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson has lodged a motion with the Scottish Parliament congratulating the parent council for their efforts.
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We hold annual reviews with parents and carers of pupils with additional support needs.
“It is at these reviews that plans are made for new school arrangements and identifying support requirements. This ensures that children are allocated to a school appropriate to their needs.
“We have sent letters to parents and carers of the prospective pupils of Firpark School and induction programmes will take place to support pupils with the transition to their new school.”