DESC chief officer says keeping pupils with additional needs in mainstream classrooms is the preferred option
The Chief Officer of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture says taking children who need additional support away from mainstream teaching isn't currently the approach favoured by schools.
Graham Kinrade has faced questions from member of Tynwald's Poverty Committee and former teacher Joney Faragher (Douglas East MHK) about the loss of support for so-called nurture rooms back in 2013 and the impact since.
Read more HERE.
Stand-alone, teacher-led nurture groups were designed to provide extra help for children experiencing social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties.
They were dismantled twelve years ago in favour of a 'whole-school approach' to nurturing.
Mr Kinrade says he understands that schools felt, instead, keeping children together was the better way forward:
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