// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Parents 'frustrated and anxious' about school placement offers
Lottie's parents say they feel "frustrated" after she was offered a place in a mainstream school
A lot of pupils will by now have already posed for a photo wearing their school uniform, but for many parents with children who have special educational needs (SEN), this week will not have been an exciting one.
One in five pupils in Northern Ireland - more than 70,000 - have some form of SEN, and demand for school places outstrips capacity.
One of them, four-year-old Lottie, has severe learning difficulties but could not get a place at a SEN school.
Her parents said they felt "frustrated" and "anxious" over the decision.
The Education Authority (EA) said it fully recognised the family's concerns, but added that rising demand for SEN places meant much of the special school estate was close to or at capacity, including the one that Lottie's family want her to go to.
The Department of Education has said it is "committed" to supporting children with special educational needs, but added that the need for investment "continues to grow, and the department simply cannot meet this pressure" within its existing level of funding.
The education minister has called for £70m a year over the next decade for an executive-led SEN Capital Investment Programme to transform educational facilities.
Classes in specialist schools are smaller in size and offer tailored teaching and support to children with statements of SEN.
It is the responsibility of the EA to arrange for the special educational provision as specified in a statement of SEN to be made.