The family of a 13-year-old autistic pupil have expressed their concerns after he missed out on the first quarter of school this year as they struggle to find adequate placement for him.
Grandmother Melody Titus said her grandson, Jude Fortune, was currently idle at home.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said they were aware of the case and were working on a solution.
“We noticed very early that there was a learning challenge when Jude couldn’t read or write. He could copy stuff off the board but he couldn't understand what it was that he was writing as he couldn’t read. Unfortunately, due to the system at the school, they just kept progressing or promoting him to the next grade due to his age.
“While I lived in Genadendal, when Jude turned 13, I took him to live with me where he was placed at a skills school, Mispah School for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) where he excelled... Since then, Jude was accepted at the Agulhas School of Skills in Napier.
“However, due to our living arrangements that changed, Jude now lives back with his mother in Elsies River. We requested assistance with a transfer to a new school of skills in Cape Town but have been told due to his age, he cannot attend a school of skills this year,” said Titus.
Titus said her grandson had been “failed by the system”.
“I have gone up and down, fighting for my grandchild to be placed in a skills school where he can be stimulated. I was told to place him in a mainstream school this year and then when he is 14, they can transfer him to a special needs school.
“Why is this system so flawed that my grandchild, who was already accepted at another skills school, cannot be transferred to one in Cape Town? We have been failed by the system,” said Titus.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department investigated the matter and discovered that the learner was not enrolled at Agulhas School of Skills by the parent.
“The learner is currently still registered as a learner at Mispah School, which is a school for learners with Severe Intellectual Disability. The request was made to transfer the learner from Agulhas School of Skills; however, the learner was never enrolled at the school, which has created some confusion.
“It was also found that the learner does not currently qualify to attend a School of Skills in terms of his age. A learner must be 14 years of age going on 15 in the year of enrolment at a school of skills. The education district will guide the parent regarding the best possible transfer for the learner in the Metro. They are investigating some possible solutions which will be communicated soon,” said Hammond.
“There are full-service inclusive schools in our system that support learners who have different barriers to learning. These are mainstream schools that have additional support structures. The suggestion was the possibility of utilising this type of school until the required age for an SOS is met, if suitable for the needs of the learner.
“We will continue to engage with the parent to find the best possible transfer from their current school,” Hammond said.
Cape Times