Aug 19, 2019, Wigan Today: Wigan special needs schools see 25 per cent rise in pupils https://www.wigantoday.net/education/wigan-special-needs-schools-see-25-per-cent-rise-in-pupils-1-9944282 A rising number of children with special needs are attending specialist schools in Wigan rather than mainstream education, an investigation has revealed. Research by the Wigan Post and JPIMedia’s data unit revealed an increase of almost a quarter in the number of pupils at the borough’s special schools in the past seven years. It mirrors the national picture, where the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools is falling, while the number in special schools is rising. This is despite the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014, which states that children with SEN should usually be given a place in mainstream classes. The Government said all schools should be inclusive. The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) accused the Government of an “ongoing attack on disabled people’s rights to be included rather than segregated from society”. And campaigners have accused schools of putting exam results and their reputations before the needs of disabled pupils. The number of children with special educational needs in mainstream education has fallen by a quarter (24.4 per cent) in England since 2012, while the number attending special schools has risen by nearly a third (30.8 per cent), analysis by JPIMedia shows. Mainstream schools in England are now the least inclusive in the UK, with only about one in seven children in mainstream primaries and one in eight children in mainstream secondaries having special needs. In Wigan, there has been a 24.6 per cent increase in the number of pupils at special schools, rising from 590 in 2012 to 735 this year. Meanwhile, there has been a drop in the number of children with SEN attending mainstream primary and high schools in the borough. In 2012, there were 4,930 SEN children in mainstream primary classes, accounting for 19.2 per cent of pupils. There were 4,350 in 2019, which was 15.5 per cent of children. For mainstream secondary schools, 21.5 per cent of children had SEN in 2012 (3,980 pupils), dropping to 13.7 per cent (2,516) by this year…. She said: “Currently, the Government’s only offer in dealing with the shortfall in SEND places crisis is the opportunity for local authorities to bid for new special schools rather than additional funding to maintain and expand existing mainstream schools’ capacity to facilitate disabled pupils’ inclusion. Parental choice is a myth - parents we know do not choose special school provision, they are forced into it because mainstream schools no longer have the money and support to implement inclusive education practice.”… “We are also working on a large-scale project over the next 10 years, which will create more school special school places where needed across the borough, including rebuilding schools where current facilities are outdated and need investment. We are also looking at how we use these places differently and more flexibly to support children to remain in their mainstream school where appropriate. “We are already so proud of the excellent specialist provision we have in place and are confident this investment will put us in a strong position to meet future demand so our children and young people get the best education and support.” “All schools must be inclusive of children with disabilities and 82 per cent of all pupils identified as having special educational needs are in state-funded mainstream schools. “Additionally, we have created new special schools in response to the increasing number of pupils with complex special education needs and are committed to delivering even more provision to ensure every child is able to access the education that they need.”…
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
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What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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