Scottish parents call for mandatory ASN training for all school staff

Scottish parents have called for specialist training to be a mandatory part of initial teacher education and for existing staff to receive additional, according to a report from the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers. 

The report, which captures the voices and lived experiences of families navigating Additional Support Needs (ASN) within the Scottish education system, found that 78% believe all staff should gain practical experiences in special education settings to better support children with ASN.
                                       
Additionally, 48% of respondents said there are now fewer support staff in their child’s school since they started and only 8% observed an increase in support staff.

In terms of impact the study found that 49% said resource challenges have significantly reduced the quality of their child’s education and 83% believe that budget constraints have had a “significant impact” on the support provided to children with ASN.

As such, The Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers has called on the Scottish Government, local authorities and school leadership to take “urgent, meaningful action to transform ASN provision across Scotland”.

It asks include: 

• Increase dedicated ASN support staff across schools.

• Improve general staffing levels to reduce pressure on teachers and ensure meaningful support for all learners.

• Ensure timely access to diagnosis and assessments to avoid long waits for essential support.

• Embed ASN training in initial teacher education to ensure all new teachers are equipped to meet diverse needs from the outset.

• Provide role specific training for all staff, including playground assistants, dinner staff, and janitors, to promote inclusive practice across the whole school environment.

Gavin Yates, executive director of Connect, the host organisation for the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers, said: “I would like to pay tribute to the Assembly Members in particular, but also to other parents who continue to champion their child’s right to an education, whatever their support needs. In this report, parents have spoken. It is their words that are the important ones. Now it is for those with the power to implement change to listen, and act.”