PROGRESS on the reform of special educational needs (SEN) is "painfully slow and at risk", the Northern Ireland children’s commissioner has said.
Koulla Yiasouma also said the slow pace of transforming SEN provision in the north is concerning, particularly with the prospect of devastating education budget cuts.
"Although the commitment by relevant authorities to reform SEN education is apparent and encouraging, there is a real prospect that progress will soon grind to a halt when it should be accelerating," she said.
Her comments come after NICCY published its latest progress update on recommendations in its 'Too Little, Too Late: A Rights Based Review of SEN Provision in Mainstream Schools in Northern Ireland' report from March 2020.
While the latest update acknowledges positive steps taken over the past three years to bring forward and develop SEN projects, it highlights "there is still considerable work to be done in several areas" including investment in early identification and intervention; efforts to reduce excessive waiting times for support and provision of numeracy support services for children with dyscalculia.
NICCY also highlights work needed to support children with SEN needs in Irish Medium Schools, or being home-schooled and says a mandatory programme to ensure adequate and ongoing training and development of all relevant school staff is needed.
"Three years on from our recommendations, we were beginning to see encouraging 'green shoots' of progress, however, there are now serious concerns that these steps will be ‘nipped in the bud’ due to budget constraints," said Ms Yiasouma.
But the commissioner added that if proposed cuts to education budgets go ahead, there would be a "devastating impact on the fragile SEN system as it exists today and also on planned transformation work".
"The negligence of political institutions and resulting budget pressures cannot be allowed to continue to impact our most vulnerable children," she said.
"I call on all political parties in NI to work together to address the urgent need for provision of sustainable and long-term financial investment in the SEN system.
"Northern Ireland has a higher proportion of children with SEN needs than the rest of the UK.
"For too long parents and carers have been fighting for their children’s right to be educated in an environment where their specific needs are respected and approached with dignity.
"I consider it imperative that interim measures are put in place as a matter of urgency, to address unmet need now.
"In the absence of a NI Executive, I strongly urge the Secretary of State for NI to prioritise the funding needed to address long-standing systemic issues and ensure that the sustainable delivery of services needed for all children with SEN, so that their right to effective education is realised, enabling them to reach their full potential."