SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan
Mr Durkan said the school place crisis was forewarned for all children with the EA previously stating a need for at least 850 additional places as well as warning about a significant shortfall in staff. Meanwhile unplaced children and their families have been left in limbo.
Said the Foyle MLA: “We’ve witnessed a year on year increase in the number of children not being allocated a school place.
“The process is distressing at the best of times but my office has been assisting a number of families whose children have been left completely heartbroken, left without a school place for September.
“Sadly, but not surprisingly, we’ve seen that SEN children are bearing the brunt of this crisis and have been failed by EA despite similar issues in previous years.
“The admissions process needs to be more pupil-centric focusing on the wellbeing of vulnerable kids.
“Moving to ‘big’ school is a frightening prospect for any child but for children with additional needs this transition can be highly distressing.
“The added uncertainty for families with unplaced children means they aren’t able to plan ahead for upcoming challenges or alleviate anxiety.
“To have vulnerable children placed in this position is a massive failure in duty of care.
“It’s clear there has been a lack of strategic planning, it isn’t good enough to say there is a growing demand for SEN school places while incrementally cutting funding in this chronically under-resourced area.
“This growing trend has been evident and well known for years.
“The education system has had time to meet the need for places yet we seem to be in permanent crisis management mode. That cycle must be broken.
“Cuts to school budgets will no doubt impact on capacity. These cuts will hit hardest for children from disadvantaged areas like Foyle.
“I have grave concerns about the future of education provision here without immediate political intervention to shield the most vulnerable children. The SDLP will continue to support an amplify the voices of the families affected.
“I’ve written to EA and the Permanent Secretary for Education calling for urgent action to ensure these children are given certainty around school places for September.”
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