THE axing of hundreds of specialist teachers due to budget cuts will result in a “lost generation” of vulnerable children, campaigners have warned.
Pupils with additional support needs (ASN) – such as those living with autism and dyslexia – were likely to feel the full brunt of budget cuts to Scottish councils, said the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition.
The group – comprising charities and businesses which work with disadvantaged young people – has written to the Scottish Government and every Scottish council, urging them to protect services and increase funding for pupils with ASN. Examples of cutbacks include the loss of 427 additional support teachers between 2010 and 2015 – a 13 per cent fall – and a cut of nine per cent in school support staff.
The coalition says funding cuts are affecting not just education but social care and early years services too, making it challenging for the Scottish Government to close the educational attainment gap.
In 2015 for Scotland as a whole, in publicly-funded education, 22.5 per cent of pupils were recorded as having ASN, and the number of pupils with ASN has increased by more than 16 per cent since 2013, with these pupils disproportionally coming from areas of deprivation.
The coalition says many children and young people with ASN, who require specialist teaching, are placed in mainstream education, with an impact not only on them but on other pupils and often under-resourced staff.
Members of the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition include learning support school Falkland House, Spark of Genius and Young Foundations.
Stuart Jacob, director of Falkland House School, said: “Public sector cuts have already affected vulnerable children and families in Scotland... any further cuts will have a cumulative impact. The cost to society of these cuts in the long term will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
Labour Inequalities spokeswoson Monica Lennon said: “Every child in Scotland should get the support they need to make the most of their talent and potential.
“Labour won’t vote for an SNP budget which carries on the cuts to local education budgets.”
Ross Greer, education spokesman for the Scottish Greens, said: “Cutting additional support needs staff lets down the young people needing help the most.”
The Scottish Government said £88 million is being spent this year to make sure every school has access to the “right number of teachers”. Its spokesman added: “The Scottish Attainment Challenge funding of £750m over five years will support schools in our most deprived communities to close the poverty related attainment gap and in the vast majority of schools this funding supports improvement in the quality and capacity of teachers.”
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