Economising and new education plans of the government have made that a big spesh ed school (15 locations covering most of the east of my country) will close her doors in 2017.
The over 2000 kids that, despite new government plans still are not in regular schools will have to make that move before 2017.
The school hopes that the over 600 people working there can be transferred to regular schools too, to keep the expertise.
Holy shit! That is a big "hope". What if they misjudged it and get it wrong?
Would not surprise me if this is a desperate move to get the attention of politics.
This school used to cater for the extra care in regular schools too. Last year massive cutting back on money happened, and massive change in regulations. So already there are more kids with issues in regular schools, and the regular schools have less money and people to cater for them.
Because government cut out the support they got from this specialised school completely. But, with more kids forced into regular schooling, the specialised school has not enough kids left to keep 15 schools spread over the east of the Netherlands open. So, desperate move from them. Maybe mainly as a cry for attention.
(the government also launched a "no kid should stay at home" campaign a while ago, to make sure there were places for special need kids, but that is more to appease the parents, I fear.)
We have a right winged government. Statements from big party members on autism: "Everyone gets a DX lately, do we have normal kids left". And "No need for all those fancy arrangement, send them all to play football, and everything will be alright".
This is going to be a long bitch now.
About a year ago, local councils stopped paying taxies for kids going to distant special education, they should learn to travel by public transport.
Very shortly after that, the provincial rulers decided it was time to cut back on public transport.
Things are being a bit shitty here lately, when it comes to mental health and extra care in schools for kids.
So far the school of my kids does a great job. But that is because the people there are very dedicated.