Bishop Autism Centre: Good or Bad?
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has formally agreed plans to set up a centre for Autistic children alongside the Bishop of Llandaff High School.
The final decision was passed to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning, Leighton Andrews AM, following objections received to the statutory notice detailing the proposed changes.
The plans approved by the Assembly are to make an alteration to Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School by adding an Autism Centre on the school site in new build accommodation, and for The 'Marion Centre' for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder to admit pupils of both sexes, aged mainly from 11 to 19 years old.
It is intended that the proposal will be implemented from September 2011.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Councillor Freda Salway, said: "I welcome the Minister’s decision and am pleased we can now progress with these plans.” However, there is a great deal of controversy among students in the school already.
On one side of the argument is a girl in Year Eleven, who said: “It's good, because it offers autistic children more opportunities being part of our school and offers them support without singling them out, making them feel like a real part of the school.”
But on the other side, a boy in Year Nine feels that the centre would take up too much space. “We already have very little space for PE, with only three forms able to do PE at any time, leading to a cramped schedule for the PE department. The new centre is being built where we currently do shot-put and long jump practice, so if it gets built, where can our PE facilities go?”
The new site will be in addition to the £13m Ty Gwyn Special School and Respite Care Centre on Vincent Road, Ely, Cardiff, which will hopefully open sometime in September this year.
Do you have an opinion on the Autism centres being built? How would you feel if this were happening in your own school? Please leave your opinions in a comment below!
3 Comments – Postiwch sylw
nate
Rhoddwyd sylw 23 mis yn ôl - 6th June 2010 - 20:53pm
Shot-put and long jump! Selfish get.
cynicforhire
Rhoddwyd sylw 23 mis yn ôl - 7th June 2010 - 00:10am
The Marion Centre bears striking resemblance to Dachau Concentration Camp, there's 10ft high fences all around the building and garden bit at the rear, not to mention 15ft high fences around the car park section next to it. The Autistic students must feel incredibly isolated in their sullen grey bunker which is literally in the middle of a tennis court.
It looks as if they're being deliberately disengaged and cut off from the rest of the school, I've only ever seen one or two of the Autistic students in the main building of the school maybe once since August 2009.
Sambow
Rhoddwyd sylw 23 mis yn ôl - 8th June 2010 - 07:27am
It sounds like a good idea to me.
I mean sure you might lose shot put and long jump but if it's to improve the education and well fare of autistic children surely it'll be worth it?
On the other hand the very idea of building a seperate block to eductae autistic people might be the very idea the singles them out all together. It's a hard choice but if it benefits them in the long run it could be a great plan. I guess you'll have to wait and see how it all pans out.
- Sambow