Visually impaired students have been neglected and defunded, this is according to a report by RNIB. The report also shows that there has been a significant decrease in staff that handles the visually impaired students.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said in its report it has noted an increase in failure to offer support required for students with vision impairment (VI). This, they argue, has been caused by a shortage of funds for the specialist education.
The report also indicated that 44 percent of councils in England had cut funding or frozen the funding of schools that help the visually impaired students. This cut has put pressure on these schools, resulting in their inability to provide quality services to students.
Increase in visually impaired students
The research also found out that 43 percent of councils have been hit by a reduction of staff in this institution. A further 24 percent of the council was reviewing whether they should implement cuts.
The report also indicated that there was a significant increase in the number of students requiring specialized attention for VI with the data showing there was a 7 percent increase in the cases of such students.
The reduction of staff has led to a strain in the education sector. It has also resulted in more workload for teachers and staff with data showing that 28 percent of teachers administered classes of more than 100 students.
This has led some to believe that the quality of education the students are receiving may not be at par with their peers. The data also showed complete neglect for students who are above 16 years.
Having the right support in place can remove the barriers to learning and enable them to develop the specialist skills they need to succeed, not just at school but as adults with full lives
the report stated in part
There is a consensus that the funding of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been neglected. The state of special education has been in crisis for the past few years, and defunding it puts it in more pressure.
The government realizing this has stepped in and offered a £700m for SEND programs. It has also indicated that it will be commissioning a review of the special education in the country to determine the core problems and areas that need improvement.
Department of special education said that they will be increasing the funding to local councils with a focus on how to boost special education. The spokesperson for the department also indicated that the total funding for special schools will be over £7 billion for 2020-21.
