Families with additional support needs say they are facing a "crisis", with school resources scant and a benefits crackdown by the Labour government.
Speaking to Neil Mackay in the Herald on Sunday, parents from the organisation Empower:ED Scotland, which campaigns for ASN families, explained why they've become disillusioned with the Scottish Government's policy of inclusion.
Families expressed their concerns that mainstream education was failing children with additional support needs, with one saying their son was "traumatised" by attending a mainstream primary school, with another saying mainstream education could "hell on earth" for children like her daughter.
The group has called for the introduction of 'intermediate schools', which would provide a halfway house between special schools for children with profound needs and mainstream schools.
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Campaigner Patrick Kieran told The Herald on Sunday: "The Scottish government has this presumption that all children should be educated within mainstream school. The idea of inclusivity is all well and good, but the reality is there are some children who need support over and above what mainstream provides.
“While all these platitudes are nice - that everybody is equal - the world isn’t like that. We’re supposed to be giving children an education which ties in with their needs and abilities. We should push them to reach their potential, but we shouldn’t do that in a way that’s detrimental to their health and wellbeing.
“Shoving kids into mainstream school because it’s cheaper is easy.”
Another parent said: "Exclusion is a society-wide issue that can’t be fixed by throwing all the kids in together and hoping that in 20 years there will be an inclusive society.”
Families also shared their anxiety over the incoming £5bn of cuts to welfare being brought forward by the UK Government.
Joanne Lamond said: "Too many young people with ASN face a future of increased dependency, not because of their conditions, but due to systemic failures in education, healthcare, and employment support that’s set them up for economic failure.
“Instead of penalising the most vulnerable, the government must focus on creating inclusive policies that provide genuine opportunities for all.
"Loss of income decreases your quality of life and increases the stress for the family, particularly single parent families. As my child isn’t in school, I also have increased costs of them being at home, and trying to provide the activities that support their meagre educational experience.”
"I feel abandoned by the state, which has become cruel. These attitudes have permeated into services which are the gatekeepers of support. It’s an incredibly challenging position as a parent to find yourself in”.
