Advocacy campaign ‘Not Ok In School Ireland’ was established in 2021 by Faye Hayden and Lourdes Sanchez, two Mums who had spent several years navigating a school system that did not suit the needs of their children, dealing with siloed service provision that creates a significant barrier to school attendance.
Faye is currently Chairwoman of NOISI, she lectures in Advocacy, and Autism, Citizenship and the Law at UCC. She holds a degree in Law and an MA in Social Justice and Public Policy. The NOISI campaign collaborate with legal and clinical professionals operating in Ireland and are committed to taking collaborative, reconciliatory pathways forward. Free support resources can be found on the ‘Mamadivergent’ Facebook page.
They soon realised that there were hundreds, even thousands of parents facing into the same situation, it is hard to pinpoint numbers as currently no tracking of school placement breakdowns exists. Families are worn down, worn out, but still determined that their child would have the opportunity for an equality of outcome in education that every child has a right to under various legislation, including the UNCRC. NOISI offers support to families of any child experiencing school challenges, supporting Neurodivergent children predominantly but also offering support to children with mental health challenges, young carers, LGBTQIA+, Traveller and Roma and children experiencing socio-economic deprivation.
NOISI is run by volunteers and offer support to families whose children are experiencing school placement breakdowns, ghost children, hidden in plain sight, with very little chance at an education, let alone a meaningful one, in a space where they feel safe emotionally and a sense of belonging. Irish Teacher: There are thousands of ghost children in our system (irishexaminer.com)
The support we offer involves collaboration with schools to assist them in working with parents and students to create environments conducive to return to school and consistent participation in education, exploring alternative educational opportunities.
Additionally, NOISI actively advocate for children to access their right to education in a safe environment, that facilitates their development, working with various key stakeholders including, Inclusion Ireland, ASIAM, F.U.S.S (Families Unite for Services and Support), The Office of the Children Ombudsman, NCSE, Restorative Living, Restorative Practices Ireland and other local groups. This has included a submission to the public consultation on the EPSEN Act in 2023 (see below) and various submissions through other public consultation opportunities including the Autism Innovation Strategy.
NOISI aim to achieve 5 key goals in their advocacy:
Ensure robust tracking of school placement breakdowns, risk leading to this, and the establishment of an interagency working group aimed at addressing barriers to school attendance. To include social prescribing approaches as an early intervention strategy for children for higher risk marginalised children, and greater engagement with key stakeholders in the education sector, including parents and the child.
End seclusion and restraint in schools, which affects Neurodivergent children at an alarming rate, impact the achievement of the rights laid out in the Children First Act 2015.
Remove disciplinary policy responses to Neurodivergent distress behaviours.
Drive education reform that facilitates universal design for learning, to ensure square pegs can access square holes, and removes the high levels of control held by Board of Management structures laid out in the Education Act 1998, who are ill-equipped for such decision making, placing accountability with the Department of Education.
Improve funding, access, and pathways to alternative education models, for example exploring multi-sensory approaches, democratic schooling used in the Sudbury schools of Ireland, and Scandinavian child-led models.
Contact NOISI at noisi2022@gmail.com
‘NOT OK IN SCHOOL in IRELAND’
EPSEN ACT REVIEW 2023 SUBMISSION