Debate contribution: Special Educational Needs Provision: North Antrim
Debate contribution by Mr Colin Crawford on .
- MLA
- Mr Colin Crawford
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 19 November 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Special Educational Needs Provision: North Antrim
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4666452
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. A pressing concern that affects countless families across North Antrim and, indeed, throughout Northern Ireland is the inadequate special educational needs provision in our schools. The matter transcends politics: it is about our commitment to ensuring that every child has access to high-quality education, regardless of their individual challenges or circumstances. As we know, the term "special educational needs" encompasses a wide range of conditions, including learning disabilities, developmental disorders and physical challenges, amongst others. Sadly, many children who require additional support are not receiving it. Families navigate a complex and often overwhelmed system that struggles to meet their needs. Numerous reports and reviews have been carried out by the Public Accounts Committee, the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO), the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) and, in 2023, an Ipsos independent review. Those reports and reviews highlight time and time again the fact that the system is failing not just children with special educational needs but their families, teachers, support staff and the schools themselves. The numerous reports and reviews emphasise that early identification and intervention are crucial when addressing the challenges associated with special educational needs. It is clear that the earlier we intervene, the better the outcomes. However, MLAs know all too well that that is not the reality in our constituencies. Parents have come to me at breaking point — I am sure that the same is true for other Members — because they are far beyond the statutory 26-week time frame for receiving a statement for their child. Parents tell me that they feel overwhelmed, unsupported and let down by the Education Authority (EA) as they try to navigate a stressful and exhausting process to secure a school place that meets the needs of their child. We want our children and young people to attend the most appropriate school for them, with support to help them to overcome their individual barriers to learning. Unfortunately, because of a shortage of educational psychologists and a paperwork bottleneck in the EA, some children wait well beyond that time frame. A child who is waiting to be statemented may be without a school place at the beginning of a new term or be left in a school that is not appropriate for their needs. Considering the statementing backlog, we need to look into other methods to ensure that there is early intervention for children at every level of our education system. The vital role of health visitors, speech and language therapists and the entire early years sector has to be explored so that children can get the support that they require before they are of school age. The type of support that children and young people with special educational needs receive may vary widely, as their needs can be very different. Some SEN children attend special schools, whereas others attend specialist provision in mainstream schools (SPiMS). Over 70% of children with special educational needs in Northern Ireland are educated within mainstream education. To meet that demand, 112 new SPiMS classes were established for the 2024-25 academic year in 105 schools across the country. The creation of specialist provision affords children with more complex educational needs the opportunity to be educated alongside their peers and siblings. It supports the integration and inclusion of all children, creating educational environments that reflect the wider communities in which children live, while supporting, as far as possible, parental choice of sector and location. Many schools report positive learning experiences for children, teachers and parents. Need, however, continues to outstrip the availability of places. Therefore, we must continue to open new SPiMS units at pace. I take the opportunity to show my appreciation to everyone in North Antrim who works tirelessly to deliver meaningful change to children with special educational needs. A special mention must go to Castle Tower School in my home town of Ballymena, which provides education to those who are aged between three and 19 years with severe, moderate and physical learning difficulties. I will also give a special mention to the host of schools that have SPiMS units, which provide an important opportunity to move towards a more inclusive education model for all pupils. There is a need to recruit and retain highly skilled and trained teachers and support staff. Such staff are the backbone of any SEN setting, but they experience huge workload pressures in their support for learners with special educational needs. That often results in stress, anxiety and burnout. I often hear from teachers that they are under significant pressure as they attempt to meet the needs of individual children, while children are presenting year-on-year with more complex needs. Teachers often feel that they are told to do inclusive education, often without support and resources. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that teachers have the knowledge and skills to create inclusive classrooms and that school leadership provides an inclusive and innovative environment where teachers can flourish. The role of teaching assistants and support staff cannot be overstated. They bridge the gap between students with special needs and those in the mainstream classroom, ensuring that those students do not lag behind due to their unique challenges. We welcome the progress of the end-to-end review of SEN, which the Department of Education and the EA are taking forward. That will allow us to take an in-depth and objective look at the SEN system, make the changes that are necessary for more effective service delivery and ensure the development of solutions from policy development through to operational delivery. The vision that is articulated clearly in 'Every CHILD: Department of Education's corporate plan, 2023-28' states that every child and young person with SEN should be "happy, learning and succeeding". We should accept nothing less. I want all SEN children in North Antrim and across Northern Ireland to have the same opportunities as their peers, the same choices about what they do and an occupation that is meaningful and enjoyable. I want all our young people to make positive contributions to their community and wider society. I want staff to feel that they are confident and capable of meeting the additional support needs of children in the classroom. I want parents to be confident in their child's education system. I also want parents to be communicated with at every stage of the process, and I want them to have the tools to support their children.
1,071 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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