Warning over lack of data on support for ASN pupils
PRESSURE is mounting on the Scottish Government to provide better information on the number of specialist staff working with vulnerable school pupils.
Minsters faced a public outcry after government statisticians stopped publishing annual data on the number of additional support needs (ASN) staff across the country.
Following the move the Scottish Parliament’s education committee has now written to John Swinney, the Education Secretary, highlighting the importance of the data.
The letter states: “The abandonment of the additional support needs ... category means there is no way to tell how many support staff are working specifically to support children with additional support needs across Scotland.
“Consequently, there is no way of ascertaining whether there has been a reduction in the number of ASN staff ... and the extent of any such reduction.
“Given the incidence of ASN is over 1 in 4 pupils and there are well-documented concerns about a lack of sufficient support ... it is extremely important to establish baseline data to inform local and national policy and to enable parliamentary scrutiny.”
The number of ASN pupils has increased dramatically in recent years, from 69,587 in 2010 to 183,491 in 2017.
A recent report found 85 per cent of parents with autistic children said their child did not receive enough support.