The Commissioner for Education within the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman said Monday that in the past days it received several communications from parents of LSE supported children in state secondary schools who will not be sitting for their MATSEC examinations.
These parents have expressed concern that their year-11 children have been told to remain at home between today 28 April and 29 June. From preliminary information obtained it would appear that although the Education Authorities are providing a special course for these students for that period, very few parents have in fact applied to have these children attend this course, possibly indicating lack of proper consultation with these parents as to the needs of the children and the parents' expectations, the omoffice of the ombudsman said Monday.
Similar concern has been expressed by the parents of years 7 to 10 Core Curriculum Programme (CCP) students over the possibility of their children also being told to remain at home at some stage in the future.
The situation appears to be exacerbated by current directives issued by the Union of Professional Educators (UPE) restricting the temporary re-assignment/redeployment of union members from year-11 children taking MATSEC exams to support children in lower years who are without an LSE.
The Commissioner for Education reminded all the education-providing stakeholders - principally the Education Authorities and all the unions concerned - that children with disabilities, like other children, have a fundamental right to schooling and to the best education possible compatible with their situation, and that they should not be subjected to improper discrimination because of their disability.
The Commissioner also enjoined the stakeholders to bear constantly in mind the already heavy burden, both emotional and financial, being carried by the parents of these children, and hopes that nothing will be done to increase that burden.
UPE Halts Mid-Year Transfers to Safeguard Year 11 LSEs and Student Support
In a sparate statement, the Union of Professional Educators (UPE) said Monday it has taken decisive action to address the critical concerns raised by Learning Support Educators (LSEs) assigned to Year 11 students. After extensive consultation with our members, the UPE has intervened to halt the mid-year transfer of Year 11 LSEs, ensuring they remain at their secondary schools to continue supporting the students under their care. This directive, upheld by the majority of Year 11 LSEs for the past two years, prioritizes the stability and continuity of support for students.
Referring to the reports indicating that some schools have instructed Year 11 students not sitting for exams to remain home between 28 April and 29 June, despite the Education Authorities offering a special course during this period. Alarmingly, very few parents applied for this course, suggesting a lack of proper consultation regarding their children's needs.
The UPE's directives explicitly restrict the redeployment of LSEs from Year 11 to other schools, ensuring these educators remain available to support students within their assigned schools. If the Ministry needs LSEs in other grades, such as the primary level, it should employ more LSEs rather than rely on a skeleton staff.
Furthermore, the Ministry's failure to engage constructively with the UPE over the past two years, has exacerbated tensions. Despite the UPE's efforts to propose attainable solutions, the Ministry (DES) has remained silent, prioritizing administrative convenience over student welfare, the UPE said.