INCOMING politicians are being urged to make the Island’s special educational needs system an urgent priority amid warnings of rising costs, growing demand and continuing frustration among families and schools.
A new report, published yesterday by education specialist Peter Fekete, warned that demand for special educational needs and disabilities provision is rising faster than the system can respond, while successive reviews have failed to deliver meaningful improvements for children and families.
The warning comes just weeks after special educational needs co-ordinators across the Island publicly accused the government of shifting clinical responsibilities onto schools and creating delays that could leave some children waiting close to two years for assessment.
Mr Fekete, a former head of sixth form at Victoria College and director of Black’s Academy, said SEND provision had received relatively little attention during the election campaign despite its growing impact on children, parents, schools and public finances.
“Jersey has many dedicated professionals working within the system, but the evidence suggests the pressures are continuing to intensify,” he explained.
“My concern is that we are often responding to symptoms rather than addressing the underlying causes.
“The next Assembly has an opportunity to move this issue higher up the public agenda and develop a more coherent long-term approach.”
The report draws together findings from recent independent reviews, government documents and wider educational research. It concludes that Jersey’s SEND system is facing many of the same challenges seen in the UK, including rising demand, escalating costs and inconsistent outcomes for children.
According to the report, the number of children with records of need – a statutory document setting out additional support for children with complex special educational needs – more than doubled between 2017 and 2024, while SEND-related spending increased from £17.2 million in 2021 to almost £38 million in 2025.
The Island SEND Review found that leadership and oversight of inclusive education were “not sufficiently effective”, while outcomes for children were described as inconsistent.
The review also highlighted a culture in which staff time and resources were increasingly consumed by complaints and crisis management rather than early intervention and support.
Parents have reported feeling marginalised, frustrated by poor communication and concerned about delays in accessing help. School leaders, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about ineffective decision-making and low morale across the system.
Mr Fekete called for earlier intervention, stronger support for inclusive education, improved communication with parents, and a greater focus on practical classroom support rather than structural reform alone.
He added that he hoped his report would contribute to a broader public conversation following the election.
“At a time when housing, healthcare and the cost of living have dominated political debate, the growing pressures within Jersey’s SEND system have received comparatively little public attention,” explained Mr Fekete.
“But SEND is not a niche issue – it’s about ensuring that children and families receive effective support early enough to make a meaningful difference.”
