Children with Special Educational Needs

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 9 July 2019.

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Photo of Mohammad Asghar Mohammad Asghar Conservative 2:15, 9 July 2019

First Minister, Welsh Government figures show that children with special educational leads are being significantly over-represented in permanent and temporary exclusion from Welsh schools. Pupils with SEN made up to 60 per cent of all permanent exclusions from maintained schools in Wales, despite being only 23 per cent of the school population. These figures suggest that exclusions are not being used as a matter of last resort for children with SEN, but as a norm. Does the First Minister agree that there is an urgent need for overhauling how the educational staff deal with pupils who have special educational needs who are disruptive and to work with schools and local authorities to get the number of exclusions down in Wales? Thank you.