Cuts to special school provision in Northern Ireland has led to reduced staffing levels, increased workload and a more stressful work environment for staff, a new report has found.
Launching the findings of its survey of NASUWT members in the north’s special schools, the teaching union said the funding crisis is “having wide ranging negative impacts on students, families and staff”.
The union said the survey examined resources, impact of cuts on workload, critical incident handling and overall teacher satisfaction within education provisions.
It found there has been a reduction in access to specialised support, extracurricular activities and staffing.
The report, launched at an event in Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, also reveals members said class sizes have increased as has the burden on families.
Maxine Murphy-Higgins, NASUWT policy casework official, said: “The funding crisis in special education has led to reduced staffing levels, increased workload and a more stressful work environment for teachers and support staff.
“This pressure is felt even more when the behaviour of pupils is a factor in the classroom.
“The NASUWT are calling on the Department of Education to implement the recommendations of the report.
“These include: increased funding to expand specialist staff, interventions and resources; improved professional development opportunities tailored to special education; implementation of policies and procedures to support teacher rights and work/life balance; an electronic reporting system in relation to verbal and physical violence in all schools; and a full evaluation of intervention strategies in relation to behavioural issues.”
