Controversial new guidelines which urge Scottish councils to place children with special needs in mainstream schools came into force today. Parents and unions have concerns over the new policy and EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, called today for extra funding to pay for specialist staff teaching. The new policy is part of the Standards in Scotland Schools Act 2000, which comes into force today. Glasgow City Council will receive £10 million to fund staff training, disabled access projects and inclusion programmes. Teaching staff across the city have already received the first phase of training and two autism care centres have been set up at Govan High and Barlanark Primary. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: ‘We will still provide specialist care in cases where it is appropriate. We are well prepared for the introduction of this policy and have spent millions of pounds on training and facilities’.
Glasgow Evening Times, August 1, 2003.

Edinburgh is facing a £60 million bill to make its schools accessible to children with disabilities and special needs. The revelation follows legislation introduced by the Scottish Executive over the last two years which demands that all schools are made accessible to all pupils. Education leaders said they feared legal action from parents if costs prevent them from carrying out all the changes called for. The news has also raised fears that money will be siphoned off from other parts of the education budget to pay for the work. The Council has confirmed changes will have to be made to all 23 city secondary schools, 98 primary schools and more than 200 nurseries.
Edinburgh Evening News, August 7, 2003.

A severely handicapped teenager who cannot walk, talk, or hold a paintbrush has won a place at Oxford to study fine art. Hero Joy Nightingale, 16, who communicates through hand movements, is to be given assistants to paint and sculpt on her behalf. Her mother, Pauline Reid ,’translated’ for her daughter during interviews for the place at Magdalen College. A spokesperson for Oxford University said: ‘The university welcomes applications from students with disabilities. In cases where students are profoundly disabled, there may be many issues that need to be carefully addressed before an individual can take up a place, such as establishing how the student can best be taught and examined’.
Observer, August 10, 2003.

All pupils at a North Finchley, London, primary school, are being taught how to sign. Summerside Community Primary School in Crossway is the only school in the borough which caters for hearing-impaired children who need to use sign language. Cathy Ward, co-ordinator of the school’s deaf and hearing impaired unit, said: ‘We are a straightforward primary school with around 250 pupils and we have around 17 deaf and hearing impaired children in the unit. We have a deaf sign language teacher who teaches sign language to the deaf and hearing children in the school, the staff and the caretaker, and the secretary, as well as the parents. The deaf children are then integrated full-time into the mainstream school. It’s what we call true inclusion’. Deaf and hearing classmates at the school get the British Sign Language qualification together. And the deaf pupils are also coached in spoken English.
Borehamwood and Elstree Times, August 22, 2003.

A Plymouth youngster has overcome a serious muscular condition to achieve nine top GCSE passes. Chris Powell, 16, has scored nine A to C grades even though he has muscular dystrophy. The congenital condition means he relies on a wheelchair to get around and needs intensive physiotherapy every day. But Chris has fitted in so well at Lipson Community College that he is going to do his A-levels. Principal Steve Baker said: ‘As a special needs student, many people in the past would have been quick to write off Chris. Chris and his family should be very proud of this remarkable achievement . It is a testament to a Government, a local education authority, a school and a family which believe in inclusive education.’
Plymouth Evening Herald. August 22, 2003.