Too many children being failed

Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, said: “Too many children are being failed by an education system that does not deliver their rights. Audit Scotland’s deeply concerning report reveals that when it comes to additional support for learning, for children in Scotland the ‘scale of unmet need is unknown’. That unmet need sits at the very heart of what children and young people have shared with me directly about their experience of learning; that there is simply not enough support to help them or their peers. We also know that unmet need has other impacts on children and can be the underlying cause of other issues within education that are the focus of current debates, such as behaviour and attendance.  

“Identifying and addressing what support children need to learn is essential to providing a rights-based education.”

“The Scottish Government must heed the report’s calls for a ‘fundamental rethink’ and make full-scale education reform a priority.” 

Our office continues to highlight the urgent need for a rights-based transformation of Scotland’s education system, particularly for children with additional support needs. Despite clear recommendations from expert reviews, and repeated calls for reform, meaningful change has yet to reach children and young people.