ÌÇÐÄVlog

Scotland prides itself on having an education system built on the belief that every child should have the chance to reach their full potential. It is a commitment written into law, echoed in national strategies and championed by politicians of all parties.

But for many children with vision impairment - especially those with complex additional support needs - that commitment is not being met.

The number of pupils identified with vision impairment as a reason for additional support needs has nearly doubled in recent years; the latest identifies 5,739 children. At the same time, the workforce able to support them has decreased. Scotland has faced a shortage of qualified teachers of children and young people with vision impairment (QTVI) for many years. These specialist teachers provide the tailored support that children with vision impairment depend upon.

Put simply, demand is increasing while resources are declining - and this must change to give every young person the support they require to thrive.

Additional disabilities

Children with vision impairment often have additional disabilities, particularly those with cerebral visual impairment (CVI). This is caused by the brain not being able to process the information from the eyes along its visual pathways; it remains widely underdiagnosed in Scotland.

These children frequently need highly individual support and a multi-disciplinary environment, which can be difficult to provide in a mainstream setting. CVI is believed to be the most common cause of visual impairment in children in Scotland, yet only a small fraction receive a formal diagnosis. estimates that around 34,000 children may be affected, compared with fewer than 900 who are formally identified.

This gap represents thousands of children whose needs remain largely unseen by the system, and who are missing the specialist teaching and tailored environments required to help them learn.

Even with a presumption of mainstreaming, it is accepted that some young people will require highly specialised settings to meet their needs. Delivering responsive and flexible services can be challenging.

Specialist independent schools, such as Sight Scotland’s Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, therefore provide an essential and unique service for children whose needs are highly complex. Nationally, we need to consider the best ways in which the expertise across the specialist sector can help to provide support and equity for all young people.

Funding system ‘makes it difficult’

However, the funding system we operate within makes it difficult for this expertise to be fully utilised. We need a fair, equitable funding model that ensures young people attend the school or setting that best meets their needs. Moreover, to achieve the greatest impact, we need to make sure specialist knowledge and expertise are widely integrated into practice, without placing further pressure on local authority budgets.

At present, many independent specialist schools have places available, while families who need them face significant barriers to access. We need a commissioning system where decisions about a child’s placement are guided by their needs and the support required to meet them, rather than by budgets or how well parents can advocate for support.

This is not a new issue. It has been recognised and discussed for many years. What has changed is the level of urgency because the gap between identifying needs and providing meaningful support is growing instead of narrowing.

Scotland also needs renewed investment in building and retaining its specialist teacher workforce, starting with a clear national plan to strengthen the number of QTVIs. Taken together, these changes could make a significant and positive difference for children who rely on specialist support.

With a new Parliament beginning work after 7 May, we have a real chance to drive change and renew the country’s commitment to getting it right for every child.

Lucy Chetty is head of education at Sight Scotland

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