(UK) Scotland: 40% of students have special needs; $36M more added to $1.3B for SPED
- The end of childhood
- Mar 1
- 2 min read
Feb 28, 2025, STV: 'I couldn't guarantee putting him in a classroom would keep him safe'
A mum from Glasgow has said that her autistic son’s acceptance into an additional support school was the “best news of her life”.
Jasmine Murphy believes she couldn’t guarantee her five-year-old son’s safety in a mainstream school.
Joshua was diagnosed with autism and learning delay from a young age and has now received a place at Drummore Primary School.
The 34-year-old mum says she built a file of supporting claims from when he was just 18 months old, as well as carrying out several assessments with different agencies to present to a panel that decided his educational future.
“Hands down, it was the best news that I’ve received in my life”, she told STV News. . . .
“I can’t guarantee that putting him in a mainstream school classroom would keep him safe; there is no way I could have put him into that environment. . . .
It comes after Audit Scotland accused ministers and councils of failing to effectively plan for the soaring number of pupils needing extra support in the classroom. . . .
The definition of additional support needs can vary – they can include emotional and behavioural issues, autism, disabilities, dyslexia, and language support needs.
A report from the watchdog found that 40% of Scotland’s pupils receive some kind of ASL support, most of which is provided in mainstream classrooms.
However, the proportion in Scotland’s most deprived areas is almost double that of the least deprived areas – 46% compared to 27%. . . .
“Scotland’s inclusive approach to education is enshrined in the Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) and has a broad consensus of support.
“The Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s report. Ministers will engage with Audit Scotland to consider its recommendations carefully alongside local authorities, who carry the statutory responsibility for Additional Support for Learning in our schools.
“Since the ASL (Scotland) Act was enacted in 2004 the number of pupils in schools with ASN has increased to 40%, which does present challenges.
“That’s why the 2025-26 budget includes an additional £29m [$36M] for ASN, building on the record investment of over £1 billion [$1.3B] spent by local authorities in the last year alone.
“It is encouraging that school leaver destinations for pupils with ASN are at near-record levels, and we are seeing record achievement through curriculum for excellence.”
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