I am a parent of three primary school children – two boys and a girl. One attends our local mainstream boys’ school, another travels by bus to a special school and my daughter will soon attend a separate local girls’ school. Yet our family lives with a quiet reality: children who grow up side by side are educated apart. They do not share the same school community, friendships or daily experiences. It should mean creating schools where children of differing needs and abilities can learn together, with appropriate resources in place.

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2026 18:02 UTC