Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today’s report from the Northern Ireland Audit Office is yet another wakeup call for the Department and the Education Authority. It is time to get their house in order when it comes to children with Special Educational Needs. To have begun a review of provision over 13 years ago which is still not completed is nothing short of scandalous. With a 36% increase in the number of children with a statement in the past nine years it is clear that this is a large and growing issue which urgently needs addressed.
“One would have hoped that following the 2017 report there would have been an improvement. To find instead that none of the 10 previous recommendations have been fully addressed is totally unacceptable.”
Ballymena TUV councillor Matthew Armstrong added:
“This report makes sobering reading for those of us who have children with special educational needs. To see it spelt out in black and white that delays in assessing and providing for children have increased to the point where 85% of new statements of SEN are now outside the statutory 26 week limit (a rise of 9% from the already scandalous 2015-16 figure) is outrageous. With Northern Ireland seeing a bigger rise than other parts of the UK in the number of children with Special Educational Needs it is clear that we need to see an urgency in addressing this issue which had been sadly lacking up to now.
“I would like to thank the Comptroller and Auditor General and his office for the light they have shone on this issue. He has produced a detailed report with specific recommendations. There is an onus on Stormont to ensure that it does not sit on the shelf gathering dust but rather marks a turning point in how we as a society seek to meet the needs of some of our most venerable citizens. Should this prove to nothing more than a report which prompts headlines for a day or two before it is forgotten about it would be unforgivable. We are dealing here with young people facing particular challenges which, thankfully, many do not have. It is vital that we do all in our power to ensure that they get the best start possible in life.”