June 7, 2023, NI Derry Journal: 50% cut to special needs budget branded ‘attack on vulnerable’ and ‘amputation’ of service
A 50 per cent cut in the budget for special educational needs (SEN) coordinators has been branded an ‘attack on the most vulnerable’ and an ‘amputation’ of the service by councillors. Derry City & Strabane District Council Governance & Strategic Planning Committee blasted the Department of Education’s decision to reduce funding from £22m [$27M] to £11m [$14M]….
“I've already been contacted by quite a few parents. Some parents were actually sending me videos of their children, before and after they received special educational help in the schools, and they are very worried about what the next year will bring,” said Colr. Harkin.
Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Boggs said: “There is nobody in schools, there is no parent, who can even think about the impact these cuts are going to have because any teacher you speak to, any SEN coordinator you speak to, anybody that comes in from EA will tell you the exact same thing - we are already under immense pressure. There are teachers who are working harder than ever to try and support young people.”…
“I'm sure every councillor in here at this time of year has been approached by the parents of children with additional needs who find it difficult with regards to the allocation of school places and you can see the stress that this causes to parents and in particular the very, very negative effect this will have on the children while other children will be allocated schools.” SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney described the cut as ‘extremely alarming’.
"I have been an elected representative for just ten years and over that time we are seeing more and more families coming to us looking for help for children who have special educational needs whether it is...supporting schools, support with benefits or access to services.
"There is an increasing demand out there and the very fact that the DE are suggesting that they are going to cut it is extremely, extremely confusing to me.”…
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