THE HIGH COURT has granted leave for two mothers of children with Down Syndrome to challenge the law on the provision of resource teaching hours to children with the disability.

One of the women. whose five-year-old son has Down Syndrome and is currently schooled in the mainstream system, wants her son to be allocated resource teaching hours, but Down Syndrome is not currently recognised as a disability by the Department of Education.

A child with the disability must be diagnosed with second disability from the Department of Education’s ‘Low Incidence Disability’ list in order to qualify for resource teaching hours.

“My son has Down Syndrome and he is not entitled to support in the mainstream schools,” the mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told TheJournal.ie today.

“We’re asking the State to recognise our children and give them adequate support.”

The State has been given until 5 December to respond to the case. The woman said this evening that she is “naturally nervous” but wants the nation to realise that Down Syndrome is a disability.

She said that having met with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn she feels this is now the only option left for her.

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