Scottish Government has failed children with additional needs, says Labour

The Scottish Government has “failed” children with additional support needs (ASN), Labour has claimed as figures show a 400% increase in the ratio of pupils to teachers.

Figures released last week show the number of ASN teachers in Scotland fell by 19.5% between 2010 and 2024, dropping from 3,524 to 2,837.

In the same period, the number of children in schools identified as having additional needs spiked by more than threefold, from 69,587 to 284,448.

As a result, the teacher-pupil ratio has increased from one teacher for every 20 pupils, to one teacher for every 100.

“A generation of young Scots are being failed by the SNP’s disastrous failure to support ASN,” said Labour’s education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy.

“While pupils are desperately seeking support, the number of ASN teachers has plummeted to its lowest point on record.

“Teachers have been left with unmanageable workloads and the situation for pupils with ASN has been branded intolerable.

“A Scottish Labour government will build an education system that gives every child the support and opportunities they deserve.”

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The SNP Scottish Government is providing £29 million to support additional support needs specialist staff and a £186.5m uplift to increase teacher numbers, building on the record investment in ASN of over £1 billion by councils in the last year alone.

“It was deeply disappointing that Labour could not, therefore, bring themselves to vote for this vital additional support at the Budget, which was welcomed by Scotland’s teaching unions and which we know is greatly needed in our schools.

“Meantime, a generation of young people are being let down by a UK Labour Government that is taking forward austerity cuts which will push an additional 50,000 children into poverty. Unfortunately these are yet more hollow words from Scottish Labour, which don’t meet with reality.”