Special education funding needed urgently, say principals

<h4 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Principals are calling for additional resources to deal with the growing number of students presenting with high behavioural and learning needs&period;<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Whetu Cormick&comma; president of the New Zealand Principals&&num;8217&semi; Federation &lpar;NZPF&rpar;&comma; says he is receiving calls from principals &&num;8220&semi;up and down the country&comma; desperate to accommodate students with very high behavioural and learning challenges&comma; who simply do not have access to expert professionals&comma; support or resources to keep these challenging students in their schools&&num;8221&semi;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">It is not a case of schools not wishing to be inclusive&comma; it is a question of keeping all students and their teachers safe and engaged in their learning and teaching&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&&num;8220&semi;The complexity and severity of some young peoples&&num;8217&semi; needs calls for much more than capable and inclusive teachers&comma;&&num;8221&semi; says Mr Cormick&period; &&num;8220&semi;Teachers are not trained to be psychiatrists and social workers&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">He suggests it is time for a multi-disciplinary approach&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&&num;8220&semi;We need a three-pronged approach including the Ministries of Education&comma; Health and Social Development to provide urgent help to schools who cannot otherwise be expected to accommodate these very high-needs and challenging students&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"> <&sol;p>&NewLine;