Children with special needs in Northern Ireland are being sold short by “systemic failings” within the province’s Education Authority (EA).
That’s the view of Rachel Hogan, a legal adviser at Belfast-based charity the Children’s Law Centre.
Rachel Hogan says there are systemic failings at the Northern Ireland Education Authority
Hogan’s comments come after a mother told the BBC her nine-year-old son suffered mentally and physically following a lengthy battle with the EA. Her son is on the autism spectrum.
The County Antrim family fought three appeals with the EA over support for the boy, who had to wear pull-up nappies to class.
The boy sometimes sat in a wet nappy all day because there was no one to help him change.
Family took case to tribunal
The family eventually took their case to a special educational needs and disability tribunal (SENDIST).
It ruled in their favour. The boy now has one-to-one support in his class all day.
Hogan maintains that UK special educational needs laws are “robust”.
But she said “unlawful operation” of the “legal framework” was causing issues for children and their families in Northern Ireland.
Failings ‘escalate unchecked’
Hogan says the EA has allowed failings to “escalate unchecked”.
But she admitted these failings within the EA have been “probably driven, at least in some part, by chronic under-resourcing, relative to growing need”.
Figures obtained by the BBC show that aside from 2020/2021, the number of appeals to tribunals has increased every year since 2015.
Assessment waits reduced
A spokesperson for the EA said it had reduced the number of assessments that had taken longer than 26 weeks to complete. There were more than 1,000 in November 2019, but zero by March 2021.
Driving “transformation” in special needs services is an “absolute priority”, added the spokesperson.
Autism Eye approached the Department of Education, but it did not respond.
Related:
- Education Authority ‘breaks law’
- Families left waiting for SEN statement
- Northern Ireland funding ‘not enough’
- Commissioner slams support in N Ireland
- N Ireland schools ‘almost in crisis’
- Call for autism schools in N Ireland
- Radical N Ireland school plans blasted
- N Ireland pay hikes at top despite cuts
- Parents take action over N Ireland cuts
- Cuts hit ‘crucial help’ in N Ireland
- Parents defy dire services in N Ireland
- Huge increase in diagnosis in N Ireland
Published: 18 January 2022
