Emergency motions lodged with council on provision of education for children with additional support needs

Two political groups, the Greens and Liberal Democrats have lodged emergency motions on education which the Lord Provost has accepted for debate on Thursday.

These ask for an urgent briefing note to be prepared by officers on the provision of teaching for children with additional support needs (ASN). This has given rise to recent confusion on the part of many parents.

Historically, education has been provided in Enhanced Support Bases (ESBs) which have been rolled out to nine schools in the capital in recent years. These allow children attend the units situated in mainstream school and where appropriate to attend classes in the mainstream school.

Parents were invited to make applications on behalf of their children and all of those we spoke to have had their applications for a place in an ESB rejected, with the offer of a mainstream school place for the child “with enhanced support provision”.

This is a term which parents have told us they do not understand and say it has been newly coined by the council but means nothing.

The Liberal Democrats explain that ESBs are “an invaluable part of educational landscape which allow children and young people with additional support needs to receive tailored support in many subjects whilst taking advantage of many of the opportunities that mainstream provisions can offer them”.

We explained the experience of several parents here.

The council has denied that any cuts in the provision of education for these children is being made.