Workers Party Youth spokesperson welcomes extra special needs places
Odhrán Cassidy, Workers Party Youth spokesperson, has welcomed the extra special educational needs (SEN) places to be created by the Education Authority - a total of 1374.
Mr Cassidy said of the newly created SEN places there are potentially 100 children across 23 schools who may not be able to attend full time at the beginning of the school year because construction works are continuing into the new term as part of the large-scale effort to create additional accommodation.
Odhrán added: "there have been no details of the number of additional staff that will need to be employed and I would expect they will be getting permanent contracts of employment.
"Special needs children will require individual educational support and opportunities to suit their individual needs medical and educational. While on face value this may look like a solution to a long-standing problem, as always the devil is in the details."
Mr Cassidy added: "Parents need to know that the additional resources for staff and to meet the needs of the children have to be ring fenced and protected and an ongoing revenue stream will be provided and inflation proofed.
"This cannot be a one-off action to get over an ongoing and growing need. Special needs children have been neglected for years, and they deserve much more support, one size does not fit all."
