Teachers question government’s inclusion policy

Up to 25, 000 children who are in mainstream education would be more adequately provided for in special schools, teachers have claimed in a survey out today.

The research, carried out by the Times Educational Supplement, found that two thirds of secondary head teachers and a third of heads in the primary sector said that some of their pupils should be in a special school.

It also reveals that teachers take thousands of days off a year due to stress or injury as a result of teaching children with special needs. The findings raise questions about the government’s drive for inclusive education.

The research concludes that, despite their concerns about particular pupils, most teachers support children with special needs, which range from physical disabilities to behaviour disorders, attending mainstream schools where possible.

Around a third of heads and teachers think the group is most likely to perform to the best of their ability in mainstream schools.

The education of other pupils was also thought to be enhanced by the inclusion of children with special needs by almost half of heads and more than a third of classroom teachers.