Son's Trauma Sparks Call to End School Restraint

Deirdre Shakespeare has called on MLAs to repeal the power allowing reasonable force for good order and to enshrine children's rights in law, following her son Harry's traumatic experiences. Harry, who is autistic and non-verbal, still suffers panic attacks, night terrors, and anxiety at his teenage years due to being restrained in a chair and placed in a cupboard at age five. In 2024, the Public Services Ombudsman determined Harry had been unnecessarily restrained and segregated. Shakespeare's campaign, supported by the Children's Commissioner Chris Quinn and the Children's Law Centre, seeks to implement 'Harry's Law,' which would mandate schools to record and report physical restraint or seclusion to parents and the Education Authority.

Despite promises made by the Department of Education in March 2022 to align policies with human rights standards, Shakespeare remains concerned about the continued legal power to use force for good order. She emphasized that this wording is outdated and dangerous, leading to normalized practices like tying children's feet to chairs or placing them in seclusion rooms referred to as 'dark rooms.' UUP MLA Jon Burrows acknowledged the challenges teachers face, citing 300 teacher injuries in the past year, and questioned the balance between pupil behavior management and teacher safety. Both Children's Commissioner Quinn and Rachel Hogan from the Children's Law Centre agreed on the need for clear frameworks based on human rights for all involved, including teachers and classroom assistants.