The Strangford MLA said: “It is very concerning to learn that the Minister was informed in writing about the huge, anticipated pressure on SEN places for September 2025 as far back as March of this year.
“The FOI also details a meeting in February this year, where senior departmental officials were advised about the emerging crisis and undertook to brief Minister Givan. However, it wasn't until June that the Minister chose to intervene and wrote to schools urging them to take on SEN provisions. Why such a significant delay while families were dealing with so much uncertainty?
“It is unacceptable for parents of children with SEN to have to fight annually for their child to secure a school place. Education is a right that every child is entitled to.
“It appears the Minister was asleep at the wheel for several months while the EA was flagging the extensive scale of the problem.
“Last year, when the Minister took office, he made it clear that supporting students with SEN was a top priority. If this were the case, then why did it take the Minister until June to make contact with the schools? At no stage did he come to the Assembly to make a statement on his response to the crisis, which speaks volumes about his priorities.
“The DUP has been in charge of the Education Department for almost a decade, and we are still witnessing this repeated cycle of chaos and uncertainty, with children continuously being failed by our Education system. More action is needed than simply writing to schools late in the year and asking for their cooperation.
“Alliance has repeatedly called for the need for investment and reform of how we deliver access to education for children with SEN. Much has been made of the Minister's SEN reform agenda, but we have yet to see the evidence that he is really serious about delivering better for our learners with SEN.”
“The FOI also details a meeting in February this year, where senior departmental officials were advised about the emerging crisis and undertook to brief Minister Givan. However, it wasn't until June that the Minister chose to intervene and wrote to schools urging them to take on SEN provisions. Why such a significant delay while families were dealing with so much uncertainty?
“It is unacceptable for parents of children with SEN to have to fight annually for their child to secure a school place. Education is a right that every child is entitled to.
“It appears the Minister was asleep at the wheel for several months while the EA was flagging the extensive scale of the problem.
“Last year, when the Minister took office, he made it clear that supporting students with SEN was a top priority. If this were the case, then why did it take the Minister until June to make contact with the schools? At no stage did he come to the Assembly to make a statement on his response to the crisis, which speaks volumes about his priorities.
“The DUP has been in charge of the Education Department for almost a decade, and we are still witnessing this repeated cycle of chaos and uncertainty, with children continuously being failed by our Education system. More action is needed than simply writing to schools late in the year and asking for their cooperation.
“Alliance has repeatedly called for the need for investment and reform of how we deliver access to education for children with SEN. Much has been made of the Minister's SEN reform agenda, but we have yet to see the evidence that he is really serious about delivering better for our learners with SEN.”