Bristol's Elmfield School for the deaf could be closed

[Miss-Delectable]

BBC News - Bristol's Elmfield School for the deaf could be closed

A school that specialises in educating children who are deaf or who have hearing difficulties could close.

Bristol City Council made the proposal to close Elmfield School after an independent review was carried out.

The council wants to open "specialist resource bases" in the north and south of Bristol and a new base in a mainstream school.

A letter from the school's chair of governors to parents said they would "actively challenge" the decision.

The review is due to be released by the council in the next week, along with the authority's response.

The proposals would be subject to a six-week consultation period before the council make a decision on any potential closure in early 2011.

Gill Behenna, the chair of governors for the school, claimed the report "clearly recommended" that Elmfield should remain open.

Resource bases
"The local authority has chosen to disregard this recommendation from specialists in deaf education.

"Instead the LA [local authority] is making their own recommendation that Hearing Impaired Resource Bases should be set up in place of Elmfield School."

Ms Behenna added that she believed the closure would be bad for the school's pupils.

"Staff and governors already have a significant amount of evidence to show that this decision will have a negative impact on our children if it is implemented."

A statement from Bristol City Council said the report was intended to "inform policy, not make it".

"Many of the reasons given in the report behind this recommendation are not relevant to the situation in Bristol such as on the use of funding or that specialism would be lost.

"Our proposals seek to develop sustainable and viable deaf provision across the city."

Another case of hearies ignoring the needs of the deaf children. :roll:

 

[shel90]

The local authority has chosen to disregard this recommendation from specialists in deaf education.


It is all about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and greed.

 

[deafdyke]

You're damn right shel! The ONLY reason why we don't have experts telling parents they should send their kids to the deaf school, is b/c of $$$$. Kids with disabilties are a cash cow for the mainstream school, b/c they bring lots and lots of money. But the admins don't have to spend the money on the kid.......so unless the parents know how to write a decent IEP (ie they are familair with what a dhh or a blind/low vision kid or whatever disabilty needs to learn) they can get away with minimal accomondations, and call that a FAPE!

 

[overthepond]

doesnt surprise me.... deaf schools in uk are disappearing faster than i could blink!!

 

[Miss-Delectable]

Consultation over Bristol deaf education begins

BBC News - Consultation over Bristol deaf education begins

A consultation into the future of education for children with hearing problems in Bristol has opened.

Bristol City Council wants to replace Elmfield School for Deaf Children with "specialist resource bases" and extra help in mainstream schools.

The council said the number of applications for places at the school had dropped.

Elmfield School's chair of governors told parents they would "actively challenge" any potential closure.

Gill Behenna claimed an independent report had "clearly recommended" that Elmfield should remain open.

A statement from Bristol City Council said it wanted to give more help to children in other schools.

"New proposals aim to increase support within mainstream schools and create more 'resource base' provision for families," it said.

"The number of applications for places at Elmfield School has declined over the last few years."

One parent, Liane Holland, said she feared her son Alex would not get the same specialist help in a mainstream school.

"He's a very confident deaf young man and I think all because of the school.

"They've given him his deaf identity and he's very proud in his deafness," she said.