Mainstream education for many children with additional support needs (ASN) can be “intolerable” because of the gap between policy ambition and implementation, a Scottish Parliament committee has warned.
Guidance published by the Scottish government in 2019 set out a “presumption” of mainstream education, unless it would be incompatible with the needs of the child.
A report by Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee, published today, agrees that this policy is the best route forward. However, following an extensive inquiry, it finds that the government and local authorities are failing to implement it properly.
‘Forced to fail in mainstream settings’
During the committee’s evidence sessions, the National Autistic Society raised concerns that autistic children are “forced to fail in mainstream settings” before any other support is offered.
The report says: “The committee was alarmed to hear there was strong evidence to suggest that the majority of ASN pupils are not having their needs met.
“The committee agrees with the policy intention behind the 2000 Act’s presumption of mainstreaming. However, the gap between the policy intention and how this has been implemented in practice is intolerable.”
Concerns are also raised regarding new-build schools, which tend to be open plan, with experts warning they can prove overwhelming for some neurodiverse children.
The committee also expresses concern that neurodivergent children are “masking”. This occurs when children take measures to blend in while in school, leading to significant emotional, behavioural and mental health issues at home.
Committee convener Sue Webber is concerned that the situation faced by children and young people with ASN is “intolerable” and “must change”.
She said: “The Scottish government and local authorities have been repeatedly warned about the consequences of failing to improve support for children with additional support needs.
“With a rising number of children reporting with ASN - a third of pupils in some areas - the government and local authorities must not ignore the concerns and recommendations made in this report.”
More ‘exposure to ASN settings’ for teachers
Recommendations include reviewing placing requests for special schools, researching the prevalence of masking, addressing the gaps in specialist provision and ensuring “exposure to ASN settings” through the placements offered for teachers in training.
A Scottish government spokesperson said that children and young people should learn in an environment that best suits their needs, whether that is in a mainstream or special school setting.
The spokesperson added that spending on additional support for learning reached a record high of £926 million last year. The total number of support staff in Scotland rose to 17,330 and there were also 2,898 teachers across all sectors with additional support needs as their main subject in 2023. This was “an increase on recent years”.
However, although this was an increase on the 2022 figure, in 2012 there were 3,389 ASN teachers recorded as working in Scotland and fewer children with identified ASN.
The spokesperson concluded: “Ministers will consider the report in full, including the recommendations of the committee, and provide a formal response in due course.”
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