Pupils may lose their learning support
Budget cuts may force staff back to class
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.
“Support-for-learning and behaviour support staff are being asked to go back to teaching their own subject rather than supporting class teachers,” he said.
“I don’t think any councillors on February 14 fully understood the implications of the budget cuts for the 95 FTE (full time-equivalent) support-for-learning staff in the city. My fear would be that if we cut crucial support-for-learning and behaviour support staff, legally defined pupil needs will not be met.”
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.
Professor Martyn Rouse, director 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 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.
“When a system is under pressure and is not meeting the needs of all learners then there are consequences for all pupils and staff.”
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”.
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: “This was only one of the options agreed with head teachers and officers. At all stages we considered any potential impact on pupils and especially those with additional support needs, as we would not want them to be disadvantaged in any way.”
