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The population of students in Northern Ireland’s 40 special schools has surged by more than 1,000 in a span of five years. Bernie Davis, the principal of Park School, expressed that this growth has presented “significant challenges”, such as utilizing changing rooms as makeshift classrooms to accommodate the influx. Data released by the Department of Education (DE) indicated that pupil numbers in special schools escalated by 17% between 2020 and 2025. Moreover, the Education Authority (EA) previously highlighted a requirement for an additional 6,000 places in special schools.
In the past five years, only one new special school – the Deanby center in north Belfast accommodating 69 pupils – has been inaugurated. On the other hand, there have been ongoing delays in securing school placements for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). As a strategic measure to address the scarcity of places, the EA has established specialist provision classes within mainstream schools for children with SEN. According to Education Minister Paul Givan, an estimated £1.7bn capital funding for special educational needs is vital as existing special schools have reached full capacity. The specific increase in pupil numbers was disclosed in a response from DE to an assembly question from Alliance MLA Michelle Guy, revealing a rise from 6,403 pupils in the 2020/21 academic year to 7,462 pupils by 2024/25, marking a 17% increase.
Alma White has initiated a campaign named Caleb’s Cause, named after her son Caleb who has autism, advocating for new legislation to safeguard young people with special educational needs beyond the age of 19. Alma expressed apprehension about the provision of support for school leavers with SEN as her son, Caleb, is due to transition from his special school in over a year. She stressed the importance of early intervention for these individuals as they transition into adulthood, emphasizing the need for updated legislation to address the requirements of special school children. Furthermore, she highlighted the lack of specialist colleges in Northern Ireland, hindering further educational opportunities due to the substantial support needed
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