Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, commented on the thousands of young lives at risk from the education system
Commenting on findings from the Commission on Young Lives that thousands of young people are being groomed, harmed, and killed because the systems that are supposed to keep them safe are not fit for purpose Mulholland, said: “As disturbing as these findings are, they will come as no shock to anyone who has witnessed the erosion of youth services over the last decade.
“As this report makes clear, the services that do remain are under huge pressure and schools are often left to fill in the gaps. If the government is serious about its levelling-up agenda, it must do all it can to ensure all children are arriving at school in a fit state to learn.
“For too long education has been treated as the fourth emergency service, with an unfair burden placed on teachers to help pupils with complex issues that require specialist intervention. Tackling these issues early on gives these children the best chance of succeeding. As the report recognises, this requires a joined-up, inclusive, approach with significant investment targeted towards the most vulnerable in society.
“We also welcome the proposal for a children and young people’s mental health recovery programme. The pandemic exacerbated a range of mental health issues and the impact of this is still being realised. Children often face long waits for clinical support and stretched school budgets mean it is difficult to provide the pastoral and specialist support that is often required to help these pupils.”
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