Children with additional needs are being failed by the State. Some 7,860 children will need special class or school places for this September but the Government has planned for only 5,500 places. That leaves at least 2,300 children without appropriate places and takes no account of possibly hundreds more. These are not statistics; these are children being failed by the State. Parents have been left in limbo weeks out from summer and are unsure if their children will have school places. Some parents have received as many as 14 rejection letters. They are doing everything asked of them and still getting no answers. This is an abject failure of political will. Will the Government act to guarantee sufficient places, special needs assistants and supports for every child come September? Can it guarantee that the additional funding announced last week is new money and will provide an appropriate place for every child?

Sentiment score: -0.17