NUT: Barnardos right that many pupils excluded due to SEN
Commenting on the importance of identifying special educational needs (SEN) at an early age, as highlighted by Barnardo’s today, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:
“The NUT agrees with Barnardo’s and they are right to highlight the fact that so many pupils excluded during 2010/11 have SEN.
“Teachers are extremely committed to developing inclusive practice and make good progress in this. Learning for children with SEN must be co-ordinated across the school, and the undervalued role of the SEN Co-Ordinator, or SENCO, is essential here. The NUT firmly believes that SENCOs need time and support to carry out the important role envisioned in the SEN Code of Practice.
“Currently there are seismic changes proposed for the Code, and it is therefore essential the Government learns from the evidence and consults teachers in its revision. It is the most fundamental change in more than a decade, but if changes are hurried or underfunded – as is becoming characteristic of this Government – then it will be the most vulnerable children who will be put at risk.”
END PR126-2012
For further information contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 or 07879480061
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