Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 16 March 2021
Thank you very much for allowing me to speak in the debate, Presiding Officer.
I thank Jackie Baillie for her unstinting support for the subject of this debate and for the learning disability sector. I know that she does an enormous amount of work, and I commend her for that.
I am, luckily, a member of the cross-party group on dyslexia. There are similar characteristics in that area, and I have a deep interest in the subject.
I am really concerned that local authorities and education authorities around Scotland do not understand the need for learning disability support in further and higher education. Cases have been reported to me in which learning support and disability support teachers or lecturers have not been replaced when they have retired. That is a real concern, and I hope that the minister will pick up on that.
When I visited prisons as the shadow spokesman for community safety, I saw the amount of rehabilitation, learning support and learning disabilities work that was being done to help prisoners. Sadly, a high percentage of people in prison suffer from learning disabilities and have not received support for that in primary or secondary education. We also have an issue in further and higher education in Scotland that I want to bring to attention in this debate. I hope that the minister will pick it up.
In concluding, I thank Jackie Baillie for bringing this members’ business debate to Parliament. The issue is very important. We often miss talent that is out there, but there can be a little support, and parents can be helped to understand how they can support their children and their family. However, they also need to be supported by the authorities in Scotland, and I commend that to the minister.
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