Hi °C | Lo °C An Ulster mum has told of the misery she and her autistic son experienced as a result of the classroom assistants strike.
Single mum Mary French told the Belfast Telegraph that she was forced to send her nine-year-old son, Paul, to stay with his grandparents in Co Clare during the last walkout as she could not afford to take time off work or pay for alternative childcare.
The Moira woman said the industrial action is adding to the stress she already deals with on a daily basis as the single mother of a child with special needs.
"I don't really know the background of the strike and it's obviously very serious but it makes life very difficult for me," she said.
"It's already hard enough looking after a child with special needs by yourself without something like this."
"The past couple of months have been a rollercoaster."
Despite the resumption of the strike, Paul was able to attend class but Ms French said she does not know if his school, Belvoir Park Primary School, will be able to cater for her son's needs for the duration of any strike action.
Last night, she was waiting to find out if staff will be able to provide the necessary care to allow him to continue going to school during the planned strikes.
She explained: "I just don't know what's going to happen. Paul was okay about going to my parents the last time but I know it has upset him as he has a bit of eczema now.
"That's the thing with autistic children.
"They need routine. I do feel sorry for him at the end of the day."
"He doesn't have much else going on in his life except school," she added.
Meanwhile, a teaching union has directed its members that they should inform their principals that they are not prepared to teach in circumstances where adults would come into their classrooms in view of the level of risk involved.
The row over the contingency plans being put in place by the education and library boards in an effort to minimise the impact on special needs children may mean further misery for the likes of Ms French and her son.
Members of the union, Nipsa, have already staged 11 days of strikes.
Further action is planned until Tuesday.
Classroom assistants are due to continue industrial action two days a week until Christmas if their demands are not met.
They are fighting for the retention of a 32.5 hour week, the special needs allowance and recognition of NVQ level 3.
The boards have repeatedly claimed they have addressed all the demands being made by the unions and accused Nipsa of failing special needs children.
