Almost a quarter of all secondary schools have a special needs class, according to a study which says there is often a lack of awareness about the necessary criteria for establishing them.

WHEN we reach four or five years old, we automatically get drafted into the ranks of learners. I vividly remember my first day of school.

LOUISE* is one of hundreds of special needs assistants (SNAs) who will no longer be working with students with care needs in schools after classes ended yesterday.