Schools 'failing to support young people with learning disabilities'
Mainstream schools need to do more to include, support and inspire children and young people with learning disabilities, according to a leading charity.
Mencap, which describes itself as the voice of learning disability, surveyed parents with a child that has a learning disability and found that many feel hard done by current systems.
It reported, for example, that 66 per cent of respondents to a survey are not convinced that teachers understand how best to teach pupils with learning disabilities.
As part of its campaign Hear My Voice, Mencap is calling on the government to look into how schools can improve the experience of education for children with learning disabilities.
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, said that all children have the right to a good education, equal life chances and opportunities for the future.
"These rights should be no different for a child with a learning disability, yet time and time again, we hear that children with a learning disability are not getting the support they need at school," she continued.
"Through our Hear My Voice campaign, we are aiming to get politicians and future candidates to listen to parents’ concerns.
"Our survey shows that parents feel the education system is woefully ill-prepared to properly support children and young people with a learning disability to reach their full potential."
The expert said that this is "a form of discrimination" and the current education system is simply failing to deliver inclusive learning for all. Vulnerable children, simply put, are missing out.
According to the charity, students with a learning disability face barriers to their education throughout the academic journey, from primary school right to further education.
The consequence of this can be severe, as it can have a longstanding impact on their life chances.
One statistic Mencap cites as an example of this is the fact that by the age of 19, youngsters with a learning disability are three times more likely not to be in education, employment or receiving some form of training.
