(UK) NI: "Problem only getting worse; demand...is growing ever higher"

June 27, 2023, 4NI: EA Must Find Places For Special Needs Children https://www.4ni.co.uk/northern-ireland-news/298237/ea-must-find-places-for-special-needs-children-sdlp

The Education Authority must find school places for children with special education needs (SEN), SDLP Education Spokesperson Daniel McCrossan has said. Mr McCrossan made the call after it emerged that over 800 children with SEN are still waiting on confirmation of a school or nursery place for next year.

Highlighting how the situation was placing huge strain on families and said they needed immediate clarity on the situation, Mr McCrossan, MLA for West Tyrone, said: "It's deeply frustrating that families with SEN children are finding themselves in this situation year after year and nothing is being done to address it. The problem is only getting worse, the demand for places is growing ever higher and parents are being put in a terrible position, left worrying until the last minute about when and where their child will be allocated a place. Some children have even had their school places withdrawn, with no communication or clarity from the Education Authority about the next steps, further compounding parents' distress. …