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Today the Department of Education has published a decisive Policy Statement on Special Educational Needs (SEN), and the Education Authority has given its clearest explanation yet of the support package available to mainstream schools to help offer specialist provision.
On paper this looks like progress; in principle, it should be powerful.
Yet behind these announcements, the reality remains stark. Six children still do not have a confirmed school place as term begins. Around 100 more may not be able to attend school full-time until construction on their classrooms is complete. These are not numbers - they are children left waiting for a system to work.
The NAHT School Leaders’ Union has warned that complex systemic barriers - around staffing, training, space and confidence - still prevent many schools from stepping forward. They insist these barriers must be properly understood and addressed.
Unless schools are confident they will be supported rather than left to manage alone, it is reasonable to expect that many may remain cautious.
Families understand this all too well. Their trust has been eroded. Parents and children have endured years of crisis management, short-term fixes and broken promises. For too many, school has been a place of stress, exclusion or even trauma.
That scepticism is justified. I share it. But in the interests of our children, we cannot afford to stay here.
What is needed now is action beyond the headlines. Action that rebuilds trust with families. Action that supports schools to move from hesitation to curiosity, and from curiosity to commitment. Inclusion cannot be built on coercion - it must be built on confidence.
It is one thing to declare that all schools must play a role. It is quite another to demonstrate that their commitment will be matched with the sustained support that is required.
The question now is simple - after today, can schools step forward with confidence? And if not, what next?
Ema Cubitt | The Independent Autism Reviewer for NI