Additional support for schoolchildren in need is ‘patchy’

Date: 16th May 2012
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

More than a quarter of children in some parts of Scotland require additional support during their schooling, according to a new report.

The study for the Scottish Parliament's education committee found the biggest group in need of additional support - more than 20,000 children across the country - were those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

But it also noted there are huge disparities in the numbers of children needing additional support in different areas of the country, with one unnamed council reporting a figure of 28 per cent and another just 7 per cent.

The National Parent Forum Scotland, which took part in the committee meeting, said it was worried that "patchy" reporting across the country meant that some children with additional needs were being missed.

As of 2010, around 15 per cent of pupils nationwide were recorded as having additional support needs, ranging from a physical disability to conditions such as autism and dyslexia.

• Read the full article here.