Special-needs pupils may lose learning support staff

EIS warns of pressure to return to class teaching as consequence of budget cuts

By Calum Ross

Published:

Hundreds of special-needs pupils in Aberdeen could be left without learning support as city schools struggle to cope with budget cuts, it emerged last night.

Teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) yesterday warned the cuts were forcing head teachers to ask learning and behaviour support staff to return to class teaching.

The move could leave Aberdeen City Council open to legal challenges if pupils’ needs are deemed not appropriately supported, such as specific help with reading and writing.

There were also fears that a reduction in behaviour support for unruly pupils would have consequences for the education of their classmates.

“It is a very serious concern,” said Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald. “The only reason they are doing it is so they don’t have to take on more teachers. If children with behavioural problems are not supported, their behaviour will get worse and they’ll have to be taken out of schools, costing the council more money.”

City schools employ more than 100 learning support staff, with hundreds of pupils requiring varying degrees of extra attention.

Head teachers’ devolved budgets were reduced by £2.5million in February’s council cuts, prompting the EIS to predict up to 80 teachers jobs to go this summer.

EIS Aberdeen secretary Grant Bruce said many of the posts would be filled with support staff who have not taught their subjects for many years.

“My fear would be that if we cut crucial support-for-learning and behaviour support staff, legally defined pupil needs will not be met,” he said.

Mr Bruce questioned the council’s lack of a specific education department at this week’s Accounts Commission hearing into the running of the city.

Prof Martyn Rouse, of the Inclusive Practice Project at Aberdeen University’s School of Education, said the Additional Support for Learning Act (Scotland) 2004 required local authorities to assess individual pupil needs and then provide “adequate and efficient” levels of support.

“Of course one might argue about what ‘adequate and efficient’ means and how it might be provided. However, I think it is a pity that it is often the most vulnerable children that bear the brunt of cuts to funding and reductions in staff,” he said.

The Press and Journal last month revealed details of a council report which admitted schools were struggling to meet the needs of some children, and that providing appropriate support was “beyond their current ability”.

Impact

City councillors approved guidelines for the way head teachers should manage reduced budgets last month, including the option to “adjust support for learning and behaviour support core element of teaching staff”.

A council spokesman said last night: “At all stages we considered any potential impact on pupils and especially those with additional support needs.”