Councillor raises alarm over SEN provision in rural Mid and East Antrim

Sinn Féin Braid Councillor Archie Rae

A Mid and East Antrim councillor has voiced strong concern over what he described as the “alarming” treatment of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their families living in rural areas.

Braid representative, Councillor Archie Rae, criticised both the Education Authority and the Department of Education, saying they have failed some of the most vulnerable children in the borough.

Cllr Rae said:

“Every year we are told the services will improve. The fact is it couldn’t get much worse. Over the past three years I have had parents contacting me distraught at the lack of help and correspondence from the authorities.”

The councillor highlighted cases where children with SEN are being forced to endure long commutes to access education.

“Some SEN children living in rural areas are in some cases forced to make 40-mile round trips when there are schools just 10 miles away. Some of these children have major travel issues. We are told this is taken into account but in reality, it is being ignored,” he said.

Cllr Rae added that parents have repeatedly attempted to engage with the Education Authority in Ballymena but have yet to receive meaningful responses.

“Those parents have tried to engage with the Education Authority but their attempts have been ignored. The silence is deafening.”

While acknowledging the wider pressures on the education system, the councillor insisted that the current situation is unacceptable for children and their families.

“I understand the pressures on the education services but the breakdown in the system especially for our SEN children is somewhat alarming. This is an important time for the children and their families and they deserve a system that works for them and most of all they deserve to be listened to and their concerns addressed.”

The comments add to growing calls across Northern Ireland for urgent reform of SEN provision, with campaigners warning that families in rural areas are being disproportionately affected by delays and lack of support.