Agenda item

QUESTION BY MICHAELA BEDDOWS

“Special Educational Needs: No consideration has been given for children with special educational needs who are usually advised to only go in an English medium Stream or the language of their home environment. Children with global delay struggle with one language let alone two, therefore by removing the dual stream it would exclude these children from attending the school. Children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder really can’t cope with change in routine, so if they were to start then struggle in a Welsh Medium school and then have to move to an English Medium school that change would have a massive impact on them. How has this been overlooked and why has it not been addressed?”

 

Minutes:

“Special Educational Needs: No consideration has been given for children with special educational needs who are usually advised to only go in an English medium. Stream or the language of their home environment. Children with global delay struggle with one language let alone two, therefore by removing the dual stream it would exclude these children from attending the school. Children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder really can’t cope with change in routine, so if they were to start then struggle in a Welsh Medium school and then have to move to an English Medium school that change would have a massive impact on them. How has this been overlooked and why has it not been addressed?”

 

Response by Councillor G.O. Jones, Executive Board Member for Education & Children:-

 

“Carmarthenshire County Council’s policy is that all its schools should be inclusive, with children with additional learning needs educated in a mainstream setting alongside their peers wherever possible. In the vast majority of cases this is achieved with all children benefiting.

 

Carmarthenshire’s school system serves around 27,000 pupils and whilst the system is designed to meet the needs of learners though an universal and inclusive approach for a small number of children with specific additional needs this is not always possible and specialised provision offers a more appropriate learning setting.

 

In order to make sure that the needs of all learners are met the schools system in Carmarthenshire includes a range of provision for children with additional needs. A specialist school offers education to children with the most profound or complex needs where a mainstream setting is either not suitable for the children’s needs or where parents prefer this alternative setting. Selected secondary and primary schools across the county include specialised units for children with particular needs, such as autism, sensory impairment or speech and language delay. The Education and Children’s Services Department provides specific additional support in schools wherever practicable so that as many children as possible remain in their local school. Whilst the Council’s preference is to meet the needs of all children in a mainstream setting wherever possible this is not always practicable.

 

All pupils with additional learning needs have specific individual plans based on their circumstances and a tailored support programme is provided according to need. Generally, an additional learning need is not a barrier to learning two languages. There will be rare instances, however, where a child may be diagnosed with a condition that is not conducive to a fully bilingual education. In these circumstances a package of support is identified by professional practitioners and discussed with parents. Arrangements are made for the child to attend an appropriate school where their needs can be met. It may be the case that on a small number of occasions the needs of an individual child cannot be met at the local school as, notwithstanding the Council’s commitment to inclusive education, it is simply not practicable to meet all needs at every school.

 

 It is the Council’s experience that the vast majority of pupils with a wide range of additional learning needs and abilities are successful in our schools irrespective of the language of instruction but the Council does acknowledge that there will be a very few children whose needs cannot be met other than though provision at a specialist unit.

 

For the Llangennech proposal the support provided to children with additional needs will continue through the medium in which they currently receive their education. Should the proposal be implemented, all future pupils will receive this support mainly through the medium of Welsh.”

 

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