NI’s biggest teachers’ union backs online learning for emotional non-attendance children

The NASUWT would support a NI wide system of online resources for these children

Northern Ireland’s biggest teachers’ union has backed an online system of learning for emotional based school non-attendance (EBSNA).

Children experiencing what is also known as school avoidance or refusal are being recorded for the first time on Education Authority (EA) absence forms, but NASUWT has cast doubt on its effective use.

With over 300k UK members NASUWT, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) this week, that the “current system is not fit for purpose” as its own members struggle to be supported in schools.

The Department of Education (DE) has now confirmed it is set to launch pilot schemes on alternative education including potential for online learning for EBSNA.

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NASUWT national official for Northern Ireland, Justin McCamphill said: “An absence code is only helpful if it prompts support for children who need it and the staff in schools that work with them.

“Simply recording such absences distinctly will not, of itself, improve matters. There are also potentially definitional problems in determining which circumstances should trigger the use of this code and which should not.

“Where a child is facing barriers to school attendance, remote learning provision can be a helpful way of continuing their education on a short term basis while measures are being put in place to support more consistent attendance.

“However, as experience gained during the pandemic (Covid) amply demonstrated, remote learning is not a substitute for on-site provision. The NASUWT would support a NI wide system of online resources for these (EBSNA) children.”

At this time there is no requirement for schools to provide online learning in Northern Ireland. Though, children with EBSNA in other parts of the UK in England are being provided with an online classroom environment from organisations accredited by their Department for Education.

The Gov.UK website shows that in 2024/25, there were 111,700 children in England who are home-educated.

According to the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) the number of families home-educating their children has more than doubled over the past five years.

The DE has confirmed that 85,000 children in Northern Ireland had missed more than a tenth of school days in the last academic year for multiple reasons.

The LDRS spoke with concerned parents of children experiencing EBSNA, who say they have “no choice” but to home school their children to protect their mental health.

This is often a last option with some children being neurodiverse and awaiting to be assessed by an educational psychologist.

The parents, outlined their concerns of a lack of clarity from the DE and the EA, when it comes to the stages of assessment for children.

Pupils who stay in school and experience a form of anxiety can be provided with Individualised Education Programme (IEP) and Personal Learning Plan (PLP) to help them manage each day in full time education.

Worried parents have told the LDRS that some teachers do not have the time to read each student’s IEPs or PLPs. A matter the LDRS put to NASUWT.

Mr McCamphill responded: “This isn’t anything that we have ever been made aware of.

“We are clear that the current system is not fit for purpose. Teachers are increasingly being required to support the needs of children in mainstream settings with insufficient support and resources to do so.

“The IEP/PLP system is extremely bureaucratic and often does not secure the help that children, their families and the staff that work with them in schools deserve.

He added: “We recognise that some children can experience more barriers to school attendance than others.

“Some of these children are neurodivergent and others are not, but in our experience it is important to consider each child as an individual and to consider their needs and those of their families where relevant.

“All children’s circumstances are unique and it is critical that approaches to improving school attendance are child and family focused.

“In principle, we are clear that the best place for every child is in a school that is sufficiently resourced and staffed to meet their needs.

“The fact that some parents withdraw their children from school because they are concerned that their needs are not being met should be seen as a signal that more needs to be done to support those children’s schools to allow them to meet those needs.”

Parents seeking ETAs for their children to stay in school or manage a pathway back can be required to gain an assessment level from Children and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

However, parents have told the LDRS that the CAMHS levels/steps required are not consistent.

An EA spokesperson said: “The Education Authority recognises the importance of early intervention for children experiencing EBSNA.

“We provide a range of assistance to schools and parents including the support of the educational psychology service and education and welfare service, where ETA is not appropriate.”

“ETAs are designed for pupils who, for medical reasons, are unable to attend school for more than 20 days.

“Appropriate professional evidence is required before ETA can be approved, usually from CAMHS, and in most cases a pupil would be at Step 3 CAMHS.

“However, given the pressures on CAMHS services, referrals from Step 2 have also been accepted in certain circumstances. “

Further information on the range of support for parents is available on the EA website at Exceptional Teaching | SEND Plan.

Alternative models of education are now being explored as EBSNA and other conditions are being more recognised.

A DE spokesperson said: “The department recently announced an Alternative Education Models Pilot that will be taken forward as a RAISE Programme Cross Cutting Initiative.

“This will include research into alternative models of education and a small-scale pilot to test potential approaches.

“This initiative reflects the growing recognition across educational settings, communities, and among families of the need for alternative education models to better support children and young people who do not thrive in traditional school environments; this may include consideration of online learning provision.”

To find out more about RAISE Cross Cutting Initiatives, visit www.education-ni.gov.uk.

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