Proposed Edinburgh University course closures puts support for disabled learners at risk
The Scottish Greens have urged the University of Edinburgh to reconsider plans to close specialist education programmes, warning that the consequences could reach far beyond the university.
Among the programmes reported to be earmarked for closure at Moray House are the MSc Inclusive Education and postgraduate diploma routes for teachers of deaf and visually impaired learners. Learning in Communities, Outdoor and Environmental Education, and MEd Leadership in Learning are also on the reported list.
The university describes the specialist diploma routes as enabling graduates to meet mandatory qualifications for teaching deaf and visually impaired children.
Scottish Greens spokesperson for Equalities, Kate Nevens MSP said:
“These proposed cuts to courses at the Moray House School of Education and Sport are more than just a list of degrees, they are lifelines to help teachers gain the specialist skills that Deaf and visually impaired children need in the classroom.
“If the university closes these routes, it must set out a roadmap explaining how teachers will continue to access that training and what the decision could mean for the children and young people who rely on it to learn.
“Disabled learners must not be left paying the price for cuts made years before they enter a classroom. Staff and students deserve a meaningful say before decisions with such lasting consequences are taken.
“I’m calling on the University of Edinburgh to reconsider these plans, actually engage properly with staff and their union, and publish a clear assessment of the impact on disabled learners and Scotland’s future specialist teaching workforce.”
Kate added:
“These cuts to disability-related form part of wider, extremely large scale proposed cuts at the University of Edinburgh, cuts that are nothing short of an act of vandalism. I stand in full solidarity alongside striking staff, and look forward to joining them on the picket line in Edinburgh.”