In Bray, the word bray is now tied to a much wider debate about who gets a say in special education. Disability advocacy organisations are urging a pause on a new special class model after the Department of Education announced 45 new special classes for the 2026/26 school year, including five inclusive special classes.
Why are advocacy groups asking for a pause?
AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland say the announcement came without consultation with parents, children, or representative organisations. Their concern is not only the scale of the change, but the process behind it. The organisations raised those questions at a specially convened meeting of the Special Education Forum this afternoon, where they challenged the proposed name of “Inclusive Special Class” and asked how the classes would work in practice.
Their joint statement made clear that both groups support a range of options that are child-centred and inclusive, but insist that changes in special education must be co-designed with children and families. They also said parents’ right to opt out of the model must be communicated clearly. For families already navigating a complex system, that message matters as much as the policy itself.
What are families and schools being told now?
The Department is due to provide further information and meet with the organisations again next Wednesday afternoon. Until then, the uncertainty remains. That uncertainty is part of why the word bray has become more than a place name in this story: it reflects the friction between a policy announcement and the lived reality of families trying to understand what it means for their children.
Speaking to The Journal, AsIAm chief executive Adam Harris said the lack of consultation on special education has become a pattern, pointing to the special needs assistant controversy earlier this year. He said AsIAm has concerns about whether the environment in the new inclusive classes will meet children’s needs and what profile of children will be in the classes. He also said the families most affected are often the least heard. “Families have a huge amount of questions, ” he said.
What is the wider concern behind the row?
The disagreement is about more than one announcement. It is about trust, communication, and whether special education changes are being built around the children who will live with them every day. AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland said the people who will experience these shifts most profoundly are those not at the table and without a voice in the process.
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Special Education Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh TD also criticised the plan, saying the announcement of the so-called “inclusive special classes” has caused significant alarm among families and those working in special education. That response underlines how quickly a policy aimed at inclusion can become a source of anxiety if the details are not clear.
What happens next for the special class plans?
The immediate next step is the follow-up meeting scheduled for next Wednesday afternoon, when the Department is expected to give further information. For now, advocacy groups want the plans paused, parents want clarity, and schools are left waiting to see how the model will operate. The debate around bray shows how quickly a school announcement can open up a larger question: can a new special education model be inclusive if the people most affected feel they were not consulted first?
Image caption: bray is at the center of a wider debate about consultation, inclusion, and special education policy.
