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The Right to Education

  • 13-07-2001 8:04am
    #1
    C B
    Closed Accounts Posts: 616 ✭✭✭


    Yesterday the Supreme Court overturned a recent High Court Ruling which said that the state was obliged to provide primary education for a 23 year old autistic man. The Supreme Court ruled that the state had no such obligation to somebody over the age of 18.

    This is also related to the topic under discussion at the end of the unempolyment thread. Should the state have any obligations regarding the education of adult citizens?
    Extract from Bunreacht na hEireann
    ARTICLE 42
    Section 4
    The State shall provide for free primary education and shall endeavour to supplement and give reasonable aid to private and corporate educational initiative, and, when the public good requires it, provide other educational facilities or institutions with due regard, however, for the rights of parents, especially in the matter of religious and moral formation.
    More info at on the story at
    http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/0713/sin1.htm


Comments

  • #2
    Shiminay
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 28,633 Mod ✭✭✭✭Shiminay


    If someone (autistic or not) over 18 wants to learn to a primary level (and beyond) then this should be encouraged! This is going to have a negative effect on adult literacy initiatives throughout the country. Someone I know works in an Adult Education Centre and explained the way soenoe usually comes in talking about their "friend" who can't read or whatever. It's a humiliating thing for someone to have to stand up and say they can't read or they don't have even a basic education.

    However, that's another story...

    This guy, I don't know much of the story (only what I just read in the article), but it saddens me to think that the case had to go to the Supreme Court.

    Fair play to Ms Sinnott and her fight. I wonder where it will lead her now?


    All the best!
    Dav
    @B^)
    So Bob Hoskins was about to roll a spliff when in walks Dana with her 3 foot Bong
    [honey i] violated [the kids]
    When the Beefy King arrives, I shall be paying homage with Puunack The Receiver in a haze of green curry.


  • #3
    bonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by C B:
    Yesterday the Supreme Court overturned a recent High Court Ruling which said that the state was obliged to provide primary education for a 23 year old autistic man. The Supreme Court ruled that the state had no such obligation to somebody over the age of 18.
    </font>
    I remember reading about the High Court rulings of this back before I left Ireland....and I find the governments stance to have been callous and uncaring.

    If the Times' is to be believed, this fight has been ongoing for 20 years. And yet, AT THE END of that, they find that the government which denied this man his right to an education while he was within the age group dthey defined is not liable to provide that education now?

    Whats a more depressing area is that the Irish government ever contested the right to education of an autistic child. This is truly despicable. In our enlightened modern society, you are entitled to human rights, as long as its convenient.

    As to the notion of whether or not someone ceases to be eligible for the right education once they stop being a child...again, I fail to see where this can be construed. Being an adult now deprives you of some of your rights? Neato.

    jc - disgusted at the state.


  • #4
    ConUladh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 326 ✭✭ConUladh


    I think you'll find that the Supreme court decided that the state wasn't constitutionally obliged. That can be interpreted as the constitution should be changed.

    Most (if not all, the articles I've read are a bit vague) of the £225,000 was for the lack of education prior to the age of 18

    As far as I know the only money that was lost yesterday was £55,000 awarded to his mother (natuarlly it's the education that's the most important bit but anyway)

    According to The Irish Times today the government is paying the money anyway

    http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2001/0713/fro2.htm

    I'd say they don't have a problem with this particular case or others like it (PR disaster if they did) but the main reason for their appeal was cause it prob set a dangerous precedent (for them), i.e. might lead to everybody claiming a right to free education after the age of 18

    Which of course leads uas back to the Unemployment thread again


This discussion has been closed.
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