Motion

Crisis in Special Educational Needs

Crisis in Special Educational Needs
That this Assembly regrets the continuing challenges faced by children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their parents across Northern Ireland; notes the ongoing failure to plan strategically to meet the needs of children with SEN as they progress through the education system; further regrets an outworking of this failure is that some children with a statement of SEN being unplaced at the start of this academic year, or deemed to have an allocated place which is impractical and cannot be taken up immediately; regrets that the publication of the SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan does not provide timescales for implementation of services, a clear indication of resource requirements, nor an overview of necessary workforce planning with Department of Health colleagues; and calls on the Minister of Education to provide clarity on the number of children currently without access to an appropriate placement for the 2025-26 academic year and to state when he will publish clear timescales for the implementation and delivery of the SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan with the aim of ensuring that all learners are able fully to access the services they require at the point of need.
Private Members' Motion
02/09/2025
02/09/2025
08/09/2025
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