Special school call

By Kelly Yates
A NARRE Warren North mother plans to circulate petitions throughout schools in Casey in a bid to start a campaign to get a specialist school in the Casey-Cardinia corridor for children with mild intellectual disabilities.
As reported in last week’s News, Cathy-Lea Smith said there was a lack of specialist schools in the area to cater for the needs of children like her 10-year-old son Mitchell who has severe Dyspraxia.
Ms Smith, who has been teaching in various settings for the past 20 years and also holds a Masters degree in Education, said parents in the municipality had to send their children with mild intellectual disabilities to Emerson School in Dandenong.
“We need a school in Narre Warren, Berwick, Officer or even out further,” she said.
Ms Smith is appealing to schools, community groups and businesses to display a petition to support the development of a specialist school.
She has also opened a gmail account for people wishing to voice their support and is considering holding a public meeting early next year to establish an association to lobby for this cause.
“I will be contacting as many people as possible to gain support for this,” she said. “I hope to build a support base and raise politicians’ awareness that there is a desperate need for such a facility in our area,” Ms Smith said.
To support a specialist school in the Casey-Cardinia corridor email specialistschool4caseycardinia@gmail.com