Assembly recalled despite special school summer schemes U-turn

MLAs are being recalled from their Easter break on Tuesday to discuss concerns around a decision to cancel summer schemes at special schools which was later reversed.

They were scrapped by the Education Authority (EA) last week because of the lack of healthcare provision for children taking part.

But less than 24 hours later, the EA performed a U-turn after the Department of Health agreed to provide nursing support for each of the summer schemes.

It followed a backlash from parents who expressed anger and disgust at the plan to cancel them.

At the time, the Alliance Party tabled a recall petition to allow MLAs to question ministers about the decision. It was supported by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and TUV.

Although the decision was later reversed, the Alliance Party has pressed ahead with its motion to bring members back to the Stormont chamber on Tuesday.

It is expected that Education Minister Paul Givan will be questioned about the initial decision and why families were subjected to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

The Department of Health will also come under pressure over the U-turn and how it plans to staff the summer schemes.

It is understood that some families of children with special needs will be at Stormont for Tuesday's debate, which is expected to last two hours.

Speaking last week, Givan said he deeply regretted the unnecessary anxiety experienced by families and added he was pushing to ensure the "appropriate support was in place not only for the summer schemes but throughout the year".

While Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson said the handling of the situation by the two ministers had been "deeply inadequate and frankly incompetent".

"There should never have been such panic and distress caused in the first place".

The DUP has tabled an amendment to the motion calling on Finance Minister John O'Dowd to provide the funding needed to provide care for special needs schools all year round.

It will also question why a plan for capital funding for special needs schools brought by Givan has been blocked from being added to the executive agenda.

Alma White, whose autistic son Caleb is about to leave school, will be going to Stormont later to meet assembly members.

She said that many questions still need to be answered, as many parents are still "at a bit of a loss" about what happened.

"There's lots of questions to be asked, and also there was no forethought to the impact that this would have on families," she told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme on Tuesday morning.

"It caused tremendous distress for 24 hours and also it highlights the fact that when parents do stand up, there was a U-turn.

"It begs the question, if you can do a U-turn for that, what else can you do a U-turn on?"

White said that she is not aware of nurses being in schools during the year, let alone during the summer schemes, and that many classroom assistants would often undertake those duties.

She added that she was shocked a decision about ending summer schemes would be made without consulting affected parents.

"I don't really understand the decision, I don't really understand where it's come from," she said.

Analysis

On the surface this feels like the political version of a dead rubber soccer match.

Debating a decision which has already been reversed to some will feel pointless.

But for those behind Tuesday's assembly recall there are still many unanswered questions.

Such as how the decision to cancel the scheme was made and then so quickly reversed?

And could families have been spared from so much unnecessary stress?

But in truth, much of the political heat has already evaporated as a result of the U-turn.