A Government decision to make special needs units in schools optional is facing legal action.

The decision makes way for schools to choose whether or not to keep special units open.

An Auckland meeting of about 20 parents and teachers, organised by Quality Public Education Coalition [QPEC], an educational lobby group, has decided to seek a High Court review of the Government policy.

QPEC believes the Government policy has breached the Education Act.

Inspite of extra $1 billion spend up announced by Education Minister Nick Smith last week, which would be drip fed over three years, QPEC states most schools will struggle to maintain their special units. Due to tight budgeting. schools will decide to place special needs students within the mainstream classrooms.

QPEC says this will neither benefit the special needs children nor those in the mainstream classrooms.

Ministry of Education will not comment on the legal action.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>