House of Commons Select Committee

Special Educational Needs

Submission from the VISUAL IMPAIRMENT TRAINING GROUP (VITG)

Following consultation with VIEW, VIA and Vision 20:20

This written submission is sent on behalf of VITG. VITG represents all mandatory training providers and other stakeholders across the UK. A mandatory qualification is required by any teacher working with groups of visually impaired children and is also recommended for other teachers who have an especial remit for the education of visually impaired children. This would include those teachers working as members of Support Services.

It is also advised for teachers providing specialist assessment advice as a contribution to Statutory Assessment to inform the decision making process in the production of a Statement of Special Educational Need.

Each year, on average, fifty teachers gain the mandatory qualification. This is a tiny number of teachers and reflects the low incidence of visual impairment amongst children and young people but it also illustrates the vulnerability of staff development in this area of work. However, it is recognized that the role of the specialist has been instrumental in fostering the inclusion of children with special needs (Ofsted, 2005). The vast majority of visually impaired pupils without additional disabilities are now educated and making good educational progress within mainstream schools. Many teachers with mandatory qualifications also work supporting visually impaired pupils with additional and multiple disabilities who currently are to be found in special school provision.

Despite the importance of this aspect of staff development and the role of the specialist VITG would like to point to the following threats to the supply of appropriately qualified staff:

· Funding for provision and training delegated to individual schools without due regard to the more strategic approach previously adopted by centrally funded Services.

· The possible loss of specialist roles under the creation of integrated Children's Services and the rise of generic services.

· Decision making removed, by additional layers of management, from teachers with insight and expertise into the identification of the impact of visual impairment on learning.

· The age profile of specialist teachers remains high (average age 40+).

· The possible loss of management points under the new leadership salary structure acting as a dis-incentive for new entrants to this field.

Some of the reasons why specialist teachers are important

· They have high expectations of educational achievement for this particular group of pupils, which includes an awareness of appropriate interventions and the ability to carry them out to ensure each pupil achieves their potential.

· They are able to: raise awareness within schools of pupil need relating to visual impairment, analyze the skills and expertise within a school, challenge schools to maximize the skills available and identify additional to, and different from, interventions which school cannot reasonable be expected to provide but which are necessary to ensure pupil entitlement

· Although vision is fundamentally important in learning and development many children with visual needs do not have access to even basic visual aids or encouragement to use their vision. This is especially true when pupils have severe learning disabilities. Visual Impairment Support Services are an important link for schools and parents.

· Blind children and those with severe visual impairment need help to acquire skills necessary to promoting learning (to learn) through non-sighted means and the use of assistive technology. The visual impairment specialist is there to ensure Braille and other alternative communication skills are properly taught and the child receives other specialist input such as access to mobility and independence training (and personal and social development)

· Because of the low incidence of visual impairment parents of blind or partially sighted children can feel especially isolated. The visual impairment specialist works with the family and the child from the early years onwards.

· Mainstream schools are often reluctant to accept Blind pupils because staff feel concerned about meeting the child's needs. Specialists in visual impairment train staff and provide support to the school and mainstream teachers and encourage inclusion.

What is required

· Provision of a stable funding stream to ensure an adequate supply of specialist teachers and a range of development opportunities in the field of visual impairment.

· Recognition of the importance of centrally initiated forward planning at Local Authority level to maintain an overview of recruitment and retention. This would address and anticipate any shortfall in staffing.

· A career and salary structure which recognizes the importance of the role of the Visual Impairment Support Service and encourages younger teachers to enter this area of teaching.

Dr Olga Miller: Chair, VITG

 

Institute of Education, University of London

Psychology and Human Development

25 Woburn Square, London WC1HOAA

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