Government response to additional learning support review branded an ‘opportunity missed’

Last week the government published a response to the Support for Learning: All our Children and All their Potential review published June 2020.

This independent review chaired by Angela Morgan offers recommendations to the government to improve the experience of pupils with additional learning needs.

The government’s response to this review, published October 2020, accepted all of the action points presented.

While some have praised the government's openness to the review, many education and children’s organisations have raised concerns that the response does not go far enough.

The General Secretary of EIS, Scotland’s largest teachers union Larry Flanagan went as far as to call the government's reaction a missed opportunity.

Mr Flanagan went on today that the report “completely fails” to tackle the key issues of lack of support staff and resources.

He said: “This report and the response of both the Scottish government and COSLA, completely fails to get to grips with the key issue of the need for more support staff, more specialist teachers and greater dedicated resources.

Mr Flanagan also said that the impact of Covid-19 has not been properly reflected in the government’s response.

He said that many of those who have additional needs will have faced new challenges due to the current health pandemic and the government has not properly considered this in its action plan.

Mr Flanagan said: “Teachers across the country have been raising serious concerns about the stretched nature of support for additional learning needs, both in terms of the ASN sector and for pupils with additional needs in mainstream settings.

“With one in four pupils identified as having additional needs, and with those needs likely to have been compounded by the impact of Covid-19, this is an opportunity missed.”

He added, “Whilst the recommendations in the report, most of which are unremarkable, are welcome in themselves, it is not refined guidance and focus which schools require to meet the needs of pupils, it is additional investment.”

Other organisations have voiced similar concerns and Head of inclusion as Children in Scotland, Sally Cavers said she is concerned about the lack of involvement from young people in the initial report.

She said: “We fully support the recommendations to systematically increase involvement of children and young people in education decisions, as outlined in the Action Plan, and welcome the comment that both national and local governments will seek to expand opportunities for engagement.

“But while we are pleased to see a commitment to strengthening involvement in policy and guidance, more action is needed to include young people in their own planning decisions.

“Evidence from our own services, such as My Rights, My Say, suggests that work should be taken forward to establish a bank of evidence highlighting barriers to involvement and participation, and identifying actions that make a tangible difference.

“The Scottish government’s action plan, working with local authorities, commits to seeking and sharing the views of children and young people when considering responses to policy proposals. We, collectively, now need to ensure this is embedded across all schools and services.”

To read the full review click here.

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