5th March 2020
Press Release
CHILDREN who are currently in the special educational needs system “cannot be the lost generation” says the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) following the apology on Wednesday (March 4) from the Chief Executive of the Education Authority over statutory assessment and the statementing process.
Sara Long apologised to families on Wednesday after an internal audit found “unnecessary and undue delays” which have caused “distress and worry” for families. It also raised concerns about the security of confidential information about children kept by the Education Authority.
Caroline McCarthy, Vice Chairperson of the Northern Committee of the INTO and who is a teacher at a special school, says the findings of the report is the “tip of the iceberg” saying statutory assessment and statementing is only part of what is an educational crisis for children and teachers.
Ms McCarthy said the INTO have been campaigning for action to be taken on this issue for years and is hopeful that the findings from the audit will now result in meaningful actions being taken.
Speaking ahead of the 152nd Northern Conference which takes place tomorrow (Friday, March 6), Ms McCarthy praised Sara Long for the honesty of her evidence and says now is time for action. She said: “The INTO has placed Special Educational Needs high on the agenda, year after year, because we are fully aware of the failings which exist in the system. The situation for our young people, with special educational needs, is dire.
“The apology by Sara Long is most welcome, as is her honesty of the evidence to the Education Committee. The Education Authority needs to do what we have been pleading for them to do for years – they must listen to our teachers. The Minister for Education, and the MLAs, cannot take their foot off the pedal now. This has to be dealt with. The audit findings are the tip of the iceberg.
“The ‘New Decade, New Approach Deal’ states that the Executive will ‘deliver a new special educational needs framework to support young people with special needs to achieve their full potential’. This is most welcome but the children currently in the system cannot be the lost generation.
“Teachers are in the classroom, day in day out. Children with special needs, need special education tailored for them. Many teachers, who are not equipped to deal with special needs children, are doing their best every, single day. Almost 80,000 pupils in Northern Ireland have some form of special educational need – almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the school population.
“The reality is this – you cannot make special educational needs cheap. It comes with a cost and the funding has not been made available. Enough is enough now. We greatly hope that Sara Long’s apology, and the public recognition of these systematic failures, will be the beginning of a series of actions which will ultimately improve the lives of children, parents and teachers.
“Action needs to be taken and people need to do their jobs. This apology is very timely as, yet again, another year, another conference, Special Educational Needs features high on the agenda at this weekend’s Northern Conference agenda. We will continue to campaign for funding, and we will continue to support our teachers and their pupils to get the funding and support they deserve.”
Gerry Murphy, INTO Northern Secretary, added: “Sara Long is to be congratulated for the bravery and honesty of her evidence to the Education Committee. Ms Long has displayed exemplary leadership in tackling this controversial and long-standing issue. Her evidence, along with the actions she has already set in motion to address the issues identified by her and the team she set up, are an encouraging beginning to what INTO hopes are necessary reforms in the special educational needs sector.”
ENDS