No school places for twin sisters (7) with autism for a third year in a row

“Big school, big school, big school,” has been the refrain echoing around the Pistea Rodrigues home in Lucan, Co Dublin, for the last month.Twin sisters Maria Giovanna and Maria Cristianna Pistea Rodrigues, who are aged seven, are excited to be starting on the next stage in their lives.There is no big school to be found for them, however. Their father Cristian Pistea, and mother Ana Carolina Rodrigues Pimentel, have tried and failed to get them places in any school for three years in a row now. READ MOREThe girls require places in a special class due their autism diagnoses. “I don’t even have words to describe this stress,” Cristian says. “Disappointed, anxious, stressed, nervous. We are very down in this moment.”[ Children with autism denied special class places due to ‘inappropriate’ admission policiesOpens in new window ]Cristian, who is originally from Romania, works as a chef in a city-centre restaurant, while Ana Carolina, who is from Brazil, works in the home. They have been in Ireland since 2014 and are Irish citizens. Their search for school places began in 2024, when they applied to more than 10 schools within a 30-minute drive of their house. They did not secure any offers, but because the girls were just four years old at that point, they didn’t worry too much.The following year, they expanded their applications to more schools, up to 15 – and received just one offer, for only one of the girls. “How can you choose which of your children will receive an education and which not? How can you even ask me to do that?” Cristian asks. Cristian Pistea and his wife Ana Carolina Rodrigues Pimentel with their twin daughters Maria Giovanna and Maria Cristianna Pistea Rodrigues. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd When they did not get a second offer for their other daughter, they held them back again until this year.Following engagement with the couple’s solicitor, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) agreed to find school places for the children this coming academic year.However, the school year has now started, and the couple have heard nothing back from the NCSE or any school about places for their twins. “I don’t want to fight, I don’t want to do it this way. I know they [the NCSE] have a stressful job, but I have no choice now. This is a desperate call for help,” Cristian says.[ Stressful, torturous and a scramble: report highlights issues around access to special school placesOpens in new window ]For the girls, who believe they are starting school this year, Cristian is worried about not delivering on the promise he made to them.“I don’t even want to imagine that they will not get a place in school this year. I can’t even think about that.”There are almost 4,000 special classes across primary and post-primary schools in the Republic. These are designed for children with special educational needs, including autism, and have a lower student-to-teacher ratio than mainstream classes.The Department of Education has been scrambling to meet increased demand for these classes amid higher numbers of diagnoses over the last 10 years. Many schools with special classes have been oversubscribed for many years as they consistently have more applicants than places.'How can you choose which of your children will receive an education and which not? How can you even ask me to do that?' Cristian Pistea asks. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd When asked what would be done for the twin girls in Lucan, the NCSE said it did not comment on individual cases and instead outlined processes for placement in special classes.“The NCSE, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) and regional teams, works closely with families, schools and patron bodies to identify and secure appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. “Our network of local SENOs continues to engage with families who seek such placements. In situations where local personnel have been engaging with parents in respect of securing a placement and the parent awaits further contact, this will be addressed as a matter of priority. “We continue to encourage any parent or guardian seeking assistance or advice regarding educational placements to contact their SENO,” the NCSE said.