Between 2014 and 2024, the number of pupils with:
• Mental health problems has risen by 580 per cent.
• Communication support needs has risen by 303 per cent.
• Autistic spectrum disorder has risen by 240 per cent.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over massive increases in conditions contributing to additional support needs (ASN).
The figures, based on an analysis of the latest annual Scottish Government pupil census, indicate that between 2014 and 2024 the number of pupils identified with a mental health problem, for which additional support is required, has increased by 580 per cent, those with communication support needs has risen by 303 per cent, those with dyslexia by 122 per cent, autistic spectrum disorder has increased by 240 per cent, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties by 150 per cent, those with a physical health problem by 149 per cent, interrupted learning by 485 per cent and those who are looked after by 42 per cent (pupils may have more than one reason for additional support).
This is against the background of a more than doubling (102 per cent) between 2014 and 2024 in the overall number of pupils identified with ASN, from 140,472 to 284,284. This represents 40.5 per cent of all pupils.
The increase is in part due to increased recognition and diagnosis of these conditions, as well as the impacts of Covid-19, social media and the cost-of-living crisis.
The alliance of providers has repeated its call for greater resourcing by local authorities and the Scottish Government to support those with ASN, who disproportionately come from lower-income families and areas of deprivation. An increase in the number of those with ASN is also seen as a key cause of increased classroom violence and disruption.
The figures, from the annual Scottish Government teacher census, indicate that between 2014 and 2024 the number of specialist teachers supporting those with ASN has decreased from 3,077 to 2,837, a decline of 240, representing a new low.
The coalition also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, that all pupils be educated in a mainstream educational environment unless specific exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary classroom support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented:
“Given an escalating number of children and young people with ASN, it is vital that those requiring it get the care and support that they need. This is clearly difficult in an environment of austerity and budget cuts, highlighted by cuts in, for example, the number of ASN teachers.
“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, that all children and young people be educated in a mainstream educational environment unless specific exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly for all those with ASN given a fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those identified with conditions such as mental health problems and autism.
“Associated with this, we are witnessing increasing levels of classroom disruption, a key cause of this being the increase in the number of those with ASN, who are not receiving the support they are entitled to.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
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For further information, please contact Alex Orr, Policy Adviser to the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition, on 0131 603 8996 or [email protected].
Notes to Editors
About the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) is an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, as well as support to their families or carers.
It seeks to improve the lives of these children and young people, and its vision is to make Scotland the best place in the world for them to grow up in.
The SCSC aims to achieve this through campaigning to improve support for these vulnerable individuals. This seeks to ensure that a wide range of high-quality, well-resourced and easily accessible services is provided. Tailored to individual needs this will help them to achieve their full potential.
Members of the SCSC are:
• Falkland House School: An independent school based in Fife that specialises in the education and care of boys who require additional support for learning.
• LOVE Learning: An education and social care charity that uses innovative ways to engage vulnerable individuals in learning and raise their attainment. This includes supporting children and young people through intensive early years programmes, as well as in the classroom and outside the education system.
• Spark of Genius: An independent organisation offering residential care, education, autism services, post-16 employability programmes and adult services.
• Young Foundations: An independent organisation specialising in the care of children and young people with a range of complex needs.
Further information about the SCSC can be found at www.thescsc.org.uk.
