Committee returns to the classroom

Session: 2011/2012

Date: 25 February 2010

Reference: EDU 06/09/10

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Education Committee have gone back to the classroom to see at first hand the work of teachers and pupils at Longstone Special School. The Committee was invited to discuss the Minister of Education’s policy proposals for Special Education Needs and Inclusion with parents, governors and staff.

Chairperson of the Committee for Education, Mervyn Storey MLA, said: “The Department of Education’s proposals for SEN and Inclusion have generated an unprecedented level of concern among those who are most dependent upon our education system.

“Today, we have had the opportunity to see at first hand the contribution which a Special school is making to the education of children with learning difficulties. “The Committee hopes that the Minister’s decision to extend the consultation period on her policy proposals indicates a willingness to respond positively to stakeholders’ concerns.”

The Committee for Education has received an unprecedented level of lobbying regarding the Consultation proposals, leading to a SEN event in Parliament Buildings on 20 January 2010. The event was organised to provide a platform for parents and interested stakeholders to raise their concerns directly with Department of Education officials.

A full copy of the Committee’s response to the Department of Education and a transcript of the Committee’s SEN event and associated papers can be found on the Committee website: http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/education/2007mandate/educationhome_07.htm

ENDS

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