Anger over North Lanarkshire council plan to cut teacher support for deaf kids

Deaf pupils who attend Dalziel High School, in Motherwell, (left to right) Robert Jenkins, Murray Neilson, Ayden Brown, Fraser Neilson, Poppy McSherry, Justin Imrie, Kaylah Korankye, John Ward, Rubbi Brown. — Deaf pupils who attend Dalziel High School, in Motherwell (left to right) Robert Jenkins, Murray Neilson, Ayden Brown, Fraser Neilson, Poppy McSherry, Justin Imrie, Kaylah Korankye, John Ward, Rubbi Brown.

Council officials have been accused of “stealing children’s futures” over plans to slash numbers of teachers of the deaf.

Despite being a mainstream school, Dalziel High in Motherwell has been promoted as having some of the best educational facilities in Scotland for deaf pupils.

But North Lanarkshire Council plans to cut teaching support numbers by half despite pupils there achieving first-class results.

Children and parents have been left distraught and are threatening legal action. Dalziel High has 18 pupils with profound deafness, many using cochlear implants and hearing aids. Lessons are delivered by teachers using a Bluetooth system which amplifies their voice and sends it to deaf pupils.

But parents say the real key to success is the additional support delivered by teachers who ensure pupils fully understand difficult words and check their written answers.

Mum Angela Korankye, whose daughter Kaylah, 16, is about to start working towards six Highers, said: “Kaylah started school nonverbal, but because of the support she got, she’s planning to sit six Highers and taking two advanced Highers to get into university.

“Like many of the others, Kaylah is at a critical stage in her education and could impact whether she will be pursuing a career where she will flourish.

“If these cuts go ahead, the council will be stealing our children’s futures from them because they simply will not be able to attain the same high-quality results they need to pursue their chosen careers.

“It’s unbelievably cruel and totally avoidable.”

Unlike pupils with no hearing impairment, deaf children depend on the classroom support they receive. Angela said: “North Lanarkshire Council are even insisting they are not required to carry out the legally required impact assessments by arguing these cuts are part of a historic agreement made years ago to provide 6:1 support instead of the 3:1 which currently exists at Dalziel and at other schools where deaf children excel.

“We believe the local authority are misusing these old agreements, which are only supposed to apply in specialist units which is an entirely different environment from mainstream Dalziel High.

“Deaf children are recognised as disabled under the Education Act so local authorities must make adequate and sufficient provision for the additional support required by each child based on individual need not staffing averages.”

In a promise to pupils, Dalziel High states on its website “Every child and young person is entitled to support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide.”

Poppy McSherry and mother Lynzi Kirkwood.

Lynzi Kirkwood, 43, from Kirkmuirhill, whose daughter Poppy, 16, has cerebral palsy as well as deafness, said: “The damage that will be done to our children’s future will affect the rest of their lives, but they haven’t even been consulted.

“These children have already faced a lifetime of difficulties because of their disabilities. But with the correct support at Dalziel High they have all triumphed and returned amazing exam results which should ensure happy, fulfilling futures.

“To snatch that from them is unbelievably cruel.

“We don’t want to have to take legal action, but we will if this matter is not resolved.”

Poppy has a legal agreement for the level of support she receives because of her dual disabilities.

Lynzi said: “If we insist on the council abiding by the legal contract, that alone will give them difficulty in following through with their proposals to cut staffing by half.”

Scottish Conservative shadow education minister Miles Briggs said: “It’s unacceptable that our most vulnerable children are facing cuts to the services they depend on. The effect of these proposed cuts will be lifelong if educational support is withdrawn.

“I sincerely doubt this council will be the last to attempt cutting services, and this is why the education minister must tell us what she intends doing about it.”

Lois Drake, policy and campaigns officer for Scotland, with the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “We’re deeply concerned that deaf children’s support needs from a teacher of the deaf are being ignored.

“There is currently no specific guidance about what kind of support local authorities in Scotland must provide to deaf children in their schools. This can mean that deaf children – and the specialist teachers they need – can become easy targets when tough financial decisions are being made.

“We will continue to campaign to ensure that every deaf child, wherever they live, receives the support they need to thrive.”

North Lanarkshire Council said: “We are realigning staffing in our Hearing-Impaired (HI) unit at Dalziel High School in line with Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) standard ratio of 1:6 for HI provision. This is not part of budget proposals, but a realignment to established staffing ratios, which have been staffed above the standard ratio for several years.”