- More than 1,000 children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Northern Ireland need a school place in September, as per Education Minister Paul Givan.
- The current system for children with SEN is deemed unsustainable by the minister.
- In 2023, a crisis occurred where hundreds of children began the summer holiday without knowing their school placements, prompting protests.
- Mr. Givan aims for children with SEN to have their school places confirmed simultaneously with those without SEN, but this would require additional funding.
- No extra capital funding has been allocated for special needs placements.
- Over 1,000 children still require placement for the upcoming school year.
- More than 90 additional classes are needed in mainstream schools in 2024 to accommodate children with SEN.
- The Education Authority has found it extremely challenging to provide specialist places for children with SEN.
- A childcare strategy is a top priority for the department, with estimates of its cost reaching £400 million per year.
- There’s a pledge for all children to receive 22.5 hours of pre-school education, pending executive funding.
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I do hope that they’ll be able to find a solution for this problem🙃
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