On Additional Support Needs, parents must be listened to
Ross Greer MSP, Education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today highlighted the need to prioritise Additional Support Needs in the effort to close the attainment gap.
At today's meeting of Holyrood's Education Committee, Mr Greer drew attention to figures showing an Additional Support Needs ‘postcode lottery’, with neighbouring local authorities recording very different proportions of pupils receiving help.
Ross Greer MSP said:
“The whole issue of Additional Support Needs is crucial to tackling the attainment gap, and making sure we have happy, successful young people in our schools. The evidence we heard today from the Scottish Parent Teacher Council was that more needs to be done to ensure parents are listened to so that pupils who require help actually get it.
"And the message from headteachers and education managers was that teachers need better resources to deliver the best education for all their pupils. It underlines what Greens have long said; Scotland's education priorities should be around giving teachers more time to teach, rather than imposing additional assessments."
Background to Additional Support Needs ‘postcode lottery’