A MOTHER is angry that the county council is refusing to fund her blind son a place at the region's specialist school for the blind in Exeter.
Reama Airoud, said she contacted Devon County Council nine months ago to let them know of her plans to move to the Exeter area from Plymouth.
She hoped her 10-year-old son Jago, who is virtually completely blind and has learning difficulties, could attend the West of England School for Children with Little or No Sight Foundation (WESC).
Miss Airoud, who has three other children, said she contacted the school several months ago and received an acceptance letter for Jago from them, but she claims the council has refused to fund his place due to the extra cost.
Despite moving to Bradninch from Plymouth about two months ago, she claims the authority still hasn't found Jago a place at an alternative school.
She said she will visit alternative schools such as Mill Water in Honiton, but is holding out for the WESC because she believes her son will receive the care he needs there.
WESC refused to comment. But details on its website confirm that the school offers prospective pupils an assessment in consultation with local authority advisers and where a placement at WESC is appropriate, the funding agency is made aware of the results of the assessment.
Placements at the school are subject to the availability of funding.
"Jago was in a special school in Plymouth but because of his visual impairment, he needs the specialist care WESC can give him, for example he needs regular braille classes," Miss Airoud explained.
"He was in a lovely school but stopped learning about two years ago because the resources he needs access to weren't available. I knew it was going to be a battle but I didn't realise it was going to be so hard – I keep getting told that they are looking into other special needs schools in the area – but two months down the line and he still hasn't been offered anything. If this was the other way round and I was keeping my son out of school, I'd be in a lot of trouble."
Miss Airoud said her son is keen to go back to school and is becoming very frustrated at home, where she cannot teach him what he needs to learn.
"He's such a smart boy and is getting so frustrated at home now," she said.
"I'm at the end of my tether, I'm so angry and upset.
"The bigger Jago gets, the less socially acceptable it is to be different in society – it's breaking my heart."
Miss Airoud said a visit to Mill Water was organised but the school needed to cancel. She claims the county team have not rearranged the visit.
A spokesman for the council said the team believes Mill Water special school at Honiton has the facilities to support him. A spokesman said: "We normally try to offer a place within the maintained sector first.
"This includes one of our special schools for those with more complex needs.
"We are confident that Mill Water will be able to provide the support that Jago needs, but school staff have to visit the family to produce a full assessment before we can officially offer a place and so far they have been unable to arrange a suitable date."
