Regarding yesterday's new announcement by the Cyprus Confederation of Disabled People's Organisations (KYSOA), the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY) notes with regret that, once again, the organisation flagrantly ignores the legislation and provisions established by the State in order to ensure the inclusion of all children in schools.
The State has specific legislation that establishes firm procedures for the inclusion in schools of children with disabilities and all other children included in special education. This legislation and its provisions are implemented by the Ministry of Education, with the result that in recent years many more children with disabilities have been included in education.
In particular, the assertion that the opinions of certain statutory committees, which in some cases recommend the attendance of children in special units operating in schools, amount to "pressures to obtain [PARENTS'] consent to remove children from the general classroom" is both inaccurate and unacceptable.
It is truly regrettable that on the basis of persistent opinions and ideological biases that run counter to the law, the CPSOA not only disregards the expert committees provided for by law that take care of these issues, but also undocumentedly and completely unjustifiably discredits, and even insults, dozens of professionals and experts who participate in them.
The insistence of these few individuals to dismiss the special units, in which hundreds of special educators work, so that the school can properly frame and care for those children who need it, simply because they have a different personal idea, cannot be taken as a criterion for a proper approach to disability.
It is also troubling that the assertion put forward that the effort currently underway by the Ministry to make early diagnoses, at an early age, so that there is knowledge of the objective needs and early provision that may be needed or effective support can be provided to children is tantamount to "bungling children". But it is certainly completely contrary to international practice and to the State's responsibility to provide for and care for all children.
The equally incomprehensible and wholly unjust hostility repeatedly displayed by the CPSOA towards the special schools operating in our country can be answered in the opinion of the parents of the children in these schools themselves, without the need for any further comment from the Ministry.
We, as a Ministry, would expect an organisation which is committed to defending and looking after disabled people's organisations to show a spirit of co-operation and to try to make use of the opportunities and resources available to the State for this purpose. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth will, however, continue to ensure and provide for the inclusion of all children in education in accordance with the laws and regulations of the State.
IP
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