The National Union of Teachers has also stressed that mainstream schools are not properly equipped to deal with pupils with special educational needs. In a Cambridge University report published two years ago it claimed that teachers were regularly having to deliver specialist services without adequate training.
More recently, the Government advisor, Sir Alan Steer, went on the record to state that bad behaviour in schools is being fuelled by teachers' failure to properly identify children with special educational needs. It is estimated 17.2% of pupils have an SEN, but fewer than 3% (222,600 children) have been statemented.
Although there are some educational institutions which are now addressing this shortfall in basic teacher training this is mainly through post graduate qualifications or masters certificates. This means that the majority of teachers are still not getting SEN training or very little of it.
JBE Training and Development offers continuing professional development programmes to primary and secondary schools throughout the UK on behavior management, compelling learning, emotional intelligence and identifying special needs amongst many other special education areas. To find out more visit www.jbetraining.co.uk
