(UK) NI: Politician wants answers for 'exponential rise' in disabled students

April 1, 2026, News Letter: Stormont executive has failed to address 'exponential rise' in children with special needs statements - Burrows

Stormont has failed to address the “exponential rise” in the number of children classified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) – and the subsequent costs facing the Executive, the Ulster Unionist Party leader has said.

Jon Burrows comments came as MLAs discussed the debacle over the cancellation of summer schemes for SEN children – which were cancelled and then reinstated by the Education Authority (EA).

​The number of children with statement of special educational needs has soared in recent years. Parents can apply to the EA for a statement which details the child’s requirements, and describes the support required from authorities to meet their needs – as well as the school they should attend. This can include special transport arrangements, including taxis to school.

Since 2017-18, expenditure to provide support for children and young people who have, or may have, SEN or a disability has increased from £254m [$336m] in 2017-18 to £544m [$720M] for 2023-24 – an increase of 114% in six years.

Mr Burrows told MLAs: “The exponential rise in the numbers of children with additional needs has still not been properly and strategically addressed” by politicians – a rise he said was attributable to “all kinds of reasons that comes at a huge cost”. The UUP boss said the executive “must collectively address” the issue – but that hasn’t happened.

Recent figures from the Department of Education say that since 2017-18, the number of children with statements of SEN has risen by 51%, alongside an increase of 25% in children attending special schools.

Last year, Mr Burrows said that there are “questions for society” about the scale of the increase in SEN statements.

Speaking to the BBC’s Nolan Show in December, he said: “This isn't about stigmatising children or doubting anything, but there is a question for society about why there is a huge increase now.

“Is it a lag in diagnosis? Is it under diagnosis, and are there additional issues at play?”

The North Antrim MLA referenced an inquiry into special education needs by Stormont’s education committee, on which he sits.

“I asked at the start of that, could we have as an agenda item, why there is such an increase? Can we understand what the evidence base is for what is causing it – and there was a great reluctance to have that discussed.

 “And I think it's a matter that Stormont and the Education Authority and the education department – our society – should actually be asking honest questions about, and that's not about being... dismissive of things. It's not about some of the things you've heard in America about daft ideas about autism. It's not about any of that at all.

“It's actually about understanding why we've got an issue in our society and actually how we can best address it to support those young people, because I want to see young people with special education needs survive and thrive”.

Those comments came after the Press Association revealed that the EA is paying out up to £83 [$110] per mile to taxi firms for taking SEN statemented children to school – and that more than £20 million [$27M] was paid out to just five taxi operators in Northern Ireland in the last financial year.