Campaigners call for more ASN funding in schools at Aberdeen protest
Parents gathered at Castlegate to demand more support for children with additional support needs in mainstream schools.
Campaigners have staged a protest in Aberdeen calling for more resources to be allocated towards supporting children with additional support needs (ASN) in educational settings.
ASN Reform Scotland rallies have been taking place across the country, amid concerns children with additional needs are being "failed" by the current system in place.
Having met through social media, the group gathered at Castlegate on Tuesday morning with banners and leaflets to hand out to the public.
Campaigners believe there should be easier access to co-ordinated support plans - a legal document where local authorities must provide the support required for the child set out within the plan.
One campaigner, Catorina Anderson says there is a "massive gap" in attainment and specialist school places are a "postcode lottery".
She said: "I think personally there needs to be more funding towards giving the support to the children.
"Budget cuts for having less teachers in classrooms or less pupil support assistants within the schools, it's then having a big massive impact on the support that our children get."
Aberdeenshire mum Veronica is currently waiting for an autism assessment for her son after he was showing signs of struggling within school.
After asking for help to transition her son into the school, she claims she was told "we just don't have the staff".
She recently discovered there is a three year gap in his reading age, and is worried about closing this learning gap before he reaches secondary school.
She said: "If they don't close that gap - he's already noticing some of his struggles - I think he is going to be one of the statistics where he will not want to go to school because he cannot cope.
"That in turn, will effect me being able to work and financially I can't afford to take time off work."
Veronica also voiced concerns around inclusion in mainstream schools, adding some children are not attending school.
She continued: "It needs more work. This isn’t inclusion.
"There’s a lot of children that are not attending school. I know a lot of parents with children that have been out of school for over a year and to my knowledge I don’t think the children are being supported out of school."
Veronica called on the Scottish Government to change the way the education system is working, as she felt it is "failing" children with additional support needs.
Scottish Government "committed" to improving outcomes
The Scottish Government says it is committed to improving outcomes for young people with additional support needs.
A spokesperson said: "Spending on additional support for learning reached a record high of £926 million in the latest available figures 2022-23 to help address growing demand in this area.
"The number of FTE additional pupil support staff has also increased by 725 (4.4%), bringing the total number of support staff in Scotland in 2023 to 17,330.
“While it is for local councils to determine the most appropriate educational provision, the Scottish Government is committed to improving outcomes for young people with additional support needs and we have continued to invest £15 million per year to support schools with enhanced support staff provision and £11 million to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs.”
Aberdeen City council and Aberdeenshire Council have been contacted for comment.