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Teachers have turned on the government's policy on inclusion and have called for more special schools to be set up.

They fear current policy will result in the most vulnerable children experiencing repeated failure and leave the most inclusive schools floundering at the bottom of local league tables.

The attack came at the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers' (Nasuwt) annual conference in Wales.

Amanda Haehner, chair of Nasuwt's education committee, said there should be more schools for children with severe special educational needs and disabilities to provide the education that would enhance their prospects.


The reality of inclusion meant that pupils who needed specialist help were subjected to the national curriculum and an inflexible testing regime which allowed "our most vulnerable children to experience failure over and again", she added.

Pupils with challenging behaviour were the area of inclusion that teachers had most concern about, she said. Coping with such behaviour in classrooms often made teaching the "least important part of their job".

Haehner said: "Teachers now view the trend towards greater inclusion with cynicism, seeing it as a way of cost-cutting with essential resources needed not being provided." She warned that the most inclusive schools would be at the bottom end of local league tables and might turn into "enormous special schools but without any of the benefits of true special education".

She proposed a motion, which delegates backed, calling for the expansion of special schools and other specialist facilities for pupils with severe disabilities and urging fully funded alternative provision for pupils with behavioural difficulties.


Meanwhile, calls by Nasuwt for a policy to allow teachers to sue children who falsely accuse them of abuse have been criticised by the NSPCC.

The children's charity said such a move could prevent those at risk from coming forward for fear that they would be "punished".

In a statement, the charity said allegations needed to be investigated thoroughly, speedily and appropriately as they were in situations involving adults.

Conference delegates voted for a change in the law so that teachers could take legal action against under-18s or their parents who make false allegations.