School principals want review of new special education model

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A grassroots campaign representing school principals has called for the planned roll-out of a new Department of Education model of support for students with special educational needs (SEN) to be immediately halted and reviewed.

The proposed School Inclusion Model (SIM) sees principals “scapegoated”, and does not cater for additional students requiring support from Special Needs Assistants (SNA) for the next school year, and beyond. That’s according to the National Principals Forum, a lobby group set up in 2018 to represent primary school principals.