Received from: AEP
Comprising of Motion 65 and Motion 68
Congress promotes anti-racism, social justice and inclusion for everyone in society. These are values equally held by educational psychologists (EPs).
Congress notes that the UK’s education system is broken. There are far too many barriers facing our babies, children and young people today and their education should not be one of them.
Congress notes the escalating numbers of children and young people who experience a range of barriers to attending school. Nearly one in five children and young people of compulsory school age were classed as ‘persistently absent’ in the last autumn term, due to a range of reported reasons including illness and mental health difficulties.
Congress asserts that to ensure that all children and young people benefit from education, robust and evidence informed measures must be put in place. Congress further asserts that current punitive and judgemental approaches are not only unhelpful but harmful.
Educational psychologists have long been at the forefront of research into the barriers affecting school attendance and have further led the field in developing best practice in supporting affected children and young people, and their families.
EPs support babies, children and young people to thrive through their education and in their communities. However, the current system’s narrow curriculum, adversarial special educational needs provision and inadequate commitment to inclusion is limiting their education outcomes, mental health, wellbeing.
Congress demands reform of the education system, informed by the key experts in the field including EPs. Congress calls for an education system that:
i. prioritises and enables inclusion for all
ii. promotes anti-racism
iii. provides early assessment, intervention and prevention
iv. ensures timely access to specialists like EPs in all settings.
Congress calls on the government to develop best practice, in collaboration with educational psychologists and other specialists in this field, to support all children and young people to access education.
Mover: Association of Educational Psychologists