Suggestion schools will not accommodate SEN children ‘profoundly insulting’

Any suggestion that some schools in Northern Ireland have been unwilling to accommodate children with special educational needs (SEN) is “profoundly insulting”, a union leader has said.

Graham Gault, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT NI, has written an open letter to Education Minister Paul Givan and the Education Authority (EA) to ensure “this year’s last-minute scramble for school places” is not repeated.

The EA has consistently said that all schools in the region will have to be involved in providing places for SEN children as the demand for provision continues to grow.

At present, only 26% of mainstream schools in Northern Ireland offer specialist provision.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Mr Givan had written to 58 schools requesting their support with new SEN provision, but that only one had responded with an offer to progress work.

EA chief executive Richard Pengelly then wrote to a number of schools again requesting assistance, and said some may be formally instructed by the Department of Education to set up specialist provision because of the crisis over places.

In his letter, Mr Gault says: “Every single principal and teacher works effectively with SEN children on a daily basis, consistently demonstrating unwavering commitment and professional excellence.

“To suggest otherwise fundamentally misrepresents the reality of Northern Ireland’s education landscape and the extraordinary dedication of our workforce.”

His letter states that pupils with SEN “must not be portrayed or perceived as burdens”, which he feels is the “inevitable implication of the language of crisis” and adds that underfunding is the barrier to schools’ capacity to support children.

It adds: “Even indirectly attributing blame for current SEN provision challenges to school leaders is not only unwarranted, it actively misdirects attention from the true source of this crisis: sustained, systemic underfunding.”

The union leader says that while overall pupil numbers have increased by less than 4% since 2017/18, there has been a 51% rise in the number of children with SEN statements “without any corresponding increase in resources”.

The letter says: “The endless cycle of last-minute crisis management is failing our children, their parents and failing the profession that seeks to serve them”.

It goes on to call for the establishment of mechanisms for “constructive, collaborative and positive engagement with school leaders in areas of high need within the next two months”.

Mr Gault said: “The Education Authority’s last-minute scramble for places this year should have been entirely foreseeable.

“The answer is not to talk down school leaders and resort to trying to strong-arm schools which are ill-equipped to offer specialist provision units at extremely short notice and with limited support.

“Doing so is disrespectful to dedicated professionals, and not in the best interests of schools, pupils or parents.

“What we need is an earlier collaborative effort to identify the level of need, and ensure all schools have the funding, resources and spaces needed to play a part in helping to meet it.”

A spokesperson for the Education Authority said it welcomes the NAHT’s proposals for engagement on SEN provision for 2026-27.

The spokesperson added: “In particular, the EA welcomes the message in the NAHT open letter that more must be done collectively to bring an end to the annual cycle of ‘perpetual crisis’ over places for children with SEN.

“EA has been clear that this is an absolute priority.

“As we have emphasised, this can only be achieved through securing a large-scale expansion of the number of mainstream schools offering specialist provision.

“This will require EA and school leaders working together proactively and collaboratively – and we look forward to NAHT engaging with us on this basis.

“It is only by such an approach that we can ensure schools are properly supported and, most importantly, that all children in our community receive the best possible education.

“Our work on SEN provision for 2026-27 is well under way.

“We can assure NAHT that ongoing engagement with schools in areas of highest need for SEN provision is a priority for EA every year.”

The statement added: “We plan to meet with NAHT representatives and, indeed, the wider NITC trade unions, at the earliest opportunity to discuss additional mechanisms for engagement with school leaders.

“We also acknowledge the concerns about resourcing for schools in NI.

“We know at first hand the consequences of severe budgetary constraints on education, we see them every day.

“The EA also welcomes NAHT’s statement that children with special educational needs must never ‘be portrayed or perceived as burdens’ and fully agree that children with SEN ‘enrich our school communities in countless ways, bringing unique perspectives, gifts and strengths’.”