Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has challenged the Education Authority (EA) and the DUP Education Minister to provide an explicit guarantee that no child currently receiving classroom assistant support will lose it under newly proposed changes.

The West Belfast representative expressed deep concern following the release of a new policy by the EA. He suggested that the plans create a credible risk that children who currently rely on one-to-one assistance could have that essential support decreased or removed entirely. Pat Sheehan MLA said: "I am deeply concerned by the publication of a new policy from the Education Authority (EA) which creates a very real possibility that a child who currently benefits from one-to-one classroom assistant support could see that support reduced or taken away.

"This plan will cause significant anxiety for families and for children who have already had to fight incredibly hard to secure the support they are entitled to.

"Sinn Féin will challenge the Education Minister and the EA directly on these proposals to ensure that children with special educational needs do not have vital support taken away."

The MLA noted that the current proposals are likely to cause substantial distress for families of children with special educational needs, many of whom have already faced difficulties in obtaining the support they are legally entitled to. He confirmed that Sinn Féin intends to confront both the EA and the Education Minister directly to protect these vital services for vulnerable pupils.