Labour conference: Teachers lack special needs training

Christina McAnea, national secretary of Unison, told delegates at a fringe meeting at the Labour conference in Brighton this weekend that integration policies have led to more children with complex needs in mainstream schools.

But she claimed teachers are not getting the right training to help them.

"Parents would probably be horrified to hear of some of the things our members are doing in schools with absolutely no training," McAnea said. "For those that have received training, a year or six months can go by before they use it and they have either forgotten it or have lost confidence. What needs to happen is to have schools staffed to deal with this and staff taught to deal with it."

Unison is keen for the government to commit to a workforce guarantee entitling teachers to regualr training. Schools minister Vernon Coaker did not commit to a guarantee but said the issues raised could be "collaborated on." He said: "There is no doubt the points raised are fundamental to the future of our schools and teaching and non-teaching support staff. Surely it is better to set ourselves a challenge of trying to ensure we raise training for all support staff and give everyone continuing professional development and the right to it."