No room at school for autistic boy

Oct 30 2007 by Liz Hands, The Journal

AN AUTISTIC schoolboy is spending his days at his family’s shop instead of the classroom after being refused a place at a leading North school.

Eleven-year-old Mohammed Sheikh’s parents say he is missing out on vital education after St Thomas More Roman Catholic High School in North Shields said they had no room for him.

He is now helping out in the family newsagents in Wallsend while his father battles to persuade the school, in Lynn Road, to find him a desk.

Abdul Sheikh, 42, of Vine Street, Wallsend, North Tyneside, said the 1,700-pupil school had told him it was full to capacity, but he claims they have taken on five fewer children than last year.

He said: “They say they are trying their best, but they shouldn’t have refused him, because they have taken on five children less than they did last year.”

Despite numerous appeals by Mr Sheikh, who runs Lloyds newsagents on High Street East, Wallsend, with his wife Amaina, school chiefs are refusing to accommodate Mohammed.

Mr Sheikh took over the shop in the summer of last year and his family moved to the North-East from Reading this summer, when Mohammed was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism – a condition that affects communication skills and the way sufferers are able to relate to other people.

Mrs Sheikh, 38, said Mohammed’s condition was such that she was unable to look after him by herself and needed her husband’s help.

The couple have two other children, Mariya Ali, nine, and Ali-Abdul, seven, who go to Star of the Sea RC Primary School in Arcot Avenue, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay. Star of the Sea is one of St Thomas More High’s feeder schools. Mr and Mrs Sheikh want to send Mohammed to St Thomas More because of its record on discipline and academic achievements. An Ofsted inspection last month described the school as outstanding.

Mrs Sheikh said: “Mohammed loves reading and wants to become a scientist. He’s always got a book in his hand whenever he’s in the shop. He is worried that the longer he is out of school the harder it will be for him to settle back in. Mohammed is very emotional and he cries quickly. He needs a lot of discipline. When he’s doing wrong he doesn’t know he’s doing wrong.”

Mohammed said he is desperate to go to school. He said: “If I was in school I would be very happy.”

St Thomas More Roman Catholic High School did not return The Journal’s calls yesterday.

A North Tyneside Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of this case and are working closely with the family to find a resolution that meets this student’s needs.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

Returned to Poland

SAINT Thomas More RC High School hit the headlines last week when Polish pupil Aleksander Kucharski told how he returned to his home country after becoming disillusioned with teachers.

The 16-year-old quit the North Shields comprehensive claiming students lacked motivation and the education he received was poor.

He moved to the North-East when his parents secured jobs in the medical profession but left the school in June and returned to Lodz to live with his grandmother and study at a state school.

Aleksander told The Journal he was "treading water within the British education system" and "the boys were childish, they didn’t read papers and weren’t interested in anything. And the girls only talked about shopping and what they were going to do on Friday night.

"In Poland, you have to know the names of all countries, even the rivers. But in England hardly anyone could place Kenya or Poland on the map. The teachers didn’t test knowledge, only effort."

North Tyneside Council said officers were disappointed at the youngster’s decision, pointing out that St Thomas More was recently recognised by Ofsted as being an outstanding school with 82% of students achieving five or more A*-C grades in their GCSE exams. Among those, 16 came out with nine or more A*/A grades.