Vulnerable children

Our daughter has ASN she is not at increased risk of Covid 19 she attends a special needs school she has had no input from school since we stopped 7 weeks ago, school for her is so so much more than education, John swinney said that children like her would still have access to school during the lockdown it just hasn't happened, I know it's happening in other local authorities and other parts of the country, it's just not fair

Why the contribution is important

It would allow children with ASN who need the routine of a school day that bit of normality and would allow their families some much needed respite as at the moment we have no school, respite or family support, it's all just too much and cannot continue, the most vulnerable must be supported by this government

by Niamhsmummy83 on May 05, 2020 at 03:04PM

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Based on: 2 votes

Comments

  • Posted by MD May 05, 2020 at 21:00

    Whilst all children with ASN are sometimes referred to as “vulnerable” it is not helpful to class them all such at this time. In the context of the current CV crisis vulnerable children are those at risk of harm or abuse and so far have been prioritised, along with key workers’ children, for support in school hubs. ASN school staff are well aware of the challenges for children and parents at this time. Like our mainstream colleagues we are offering support to all children and parents, providing learning activities and resources and maintaining regular contact with parents and partner agencies who support children and families. Whilst we would love all our pupils back in school this is unlikely to be possible in the near future since government health guidance is equally relevant for our pupils and staff. Social distancing is already proving difficult with small numbers in our hubs and would be impossible with increased numbers. We are currently giving serious thought to what our schools might look like when pupils can return in reduced numbers, taking account of the need for social distancing and good hygiene. Providing time in school for pupils on some form of rota basis whilst continuing to provide the robust support for home learning described above will prove challenging but we will continue to do our best to support all pupils as best we can. Whilst we acknowledge that some parents of ASN pupils are missing “respite” at this time and some view the school day as such, we must stress that the purpose of school education is not respite. Some of our partner agencies provide respite but parents report that the majority of support is usually provided by extended family members. Hopefully this will be possible again soon.

  • Posted by ScrutinyMatters May 08, 2020 at 12:38

    What analysis has the writer conducted to make a universal statement about what all A.S.N. staff are doing/are aware of. As the original poster highlighted, some authorities are acting on the directive of the Deputy First Minister and some are not. Why is the respondent allowed to use "we" in an attempt to convince that all special needs teachers are providing, thinking, doing the same. Any real teacher of A.S.N. would be aware that the children need to be within the care of educators for education to occur for them. Pupils without support needs can access education through online learning, those with support needs cannot. Hopefully the Scottish Government will be held to account for allowing L.E.A. to discriminate against children and young people with learning support needs.
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