CAMPAIGNERS say they are concerned over new figures showing the number of specialist teachers in Scotland’s schools has fallen.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) said it is “clearly difficult” to see how the policy of teaching youngsters with additional support needs (ASN) in mainstream schools can be functioning properly against the backdrop.
Scottish Government figures show the number of specialist teachers decreased from 3840 in 2012 to 3464 last year – a drop of 376. At the same time, the SCSC said they had seen an increase of more than 80% in the number of ASN pupils in Scottish schools, rising from 118,034 in 2012 to 215,897 in 2019.
The group noted more than three out of 10 pupils (30.9%) now have some form of additional needs, and a record number of pupils now have some form of visual impairment with 4735 such children in classes last year, more than double the 2005 recorded in 2010.
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A spokesman for the SCSC said it’s “vital” that those with ASN get the care they need. He went on: “This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation.
“Such a situation is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity and evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.”
He added: “While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly for all those with ASN given this fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those identified with conditions such as autism and mental health problems.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”
Mark O’Donnell, chief executive of the charity Royal Blind, said: “We have never before had so many pupils with visual impairment in Scotland’s schools.”
He added the charity is “concerned that just when more support is required too often pupils aren’t getting the access they need to specialist teachers”.
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