2 weeks Ago
Disabled children and young people in Wales are being fundamentally let down and denied their right to education, Senedd members warned. Buffy Williams, children’s committee chair, led a debate after an inquiry found many disabled children do not have equal access to education and childcare. She raised concerns about the Welsh Government rejecting six of the 32 recommendations from the committee’s 239-page report.
She welcomed recognition that more must be done to uphold children’s rights to education. But, addressing Welsh ministers, Ms Williams warned: “We do not feel that your response commits to a step change in the pace and scale of the action required to do so. “Our committee, like the online advisory group, worries that maybe you are not giving these issues the priority they deserve.
” Ms Williams said parents, carers and young people on the advisory group believe ministers’ formal response to the report fails to recognise the seriousness of the issues families face. Gareth Davies, the Conservatives' shadow mental health minister, warned that disabled children disproportionately experience bullying in school. Carolyn Thomas, who chairs the petitions committee, stated the Senedd has received five petitions on Wales’ ALN reforms.
Laura Anne Jones said it is disgraceful that so many teachers and assistants still lack basic neurodiversity training, which leads to disabled children’s behaviour being wrongly labelled disruptive. Hefin David, whose daughter has autism, sought to place the debate in historical context as he drew on his own family’s experiences. The Caerphilly Senedd member recognised that progress is sometimes not fast enough but he emphasised that young people are being treated better today than ever before.
Responding to the debate on November 12, Lynne Neagle apologised to families for their experiences which she said made for distressing and sobering reading. Wales’ education secretary said: "I say on behalf of the [Welsh] Government that it is not good enough.” Ms Neagle, whose first job after university was working with parents of disabled children, recognised that families too often feel the need to fight for support.
She told the Senedd: “I want to acknowledge that not enough has changed for enough families – we can and we must do better.”.
