Ms Nuala Ward:

The recent proposal that all teachers should be trained in special educational needs is vital. We hope that will be rolled out quickly. It is such a fraught area for parents. One can imagine what it must be like to be told that your five-year-old - we have a five-year-old - is suspended. It is serious. It has to be perceived to be fair. The section 29 appeal is there, but that is only for children who have been suspended for more than 20 days. That is the right also in respect of expulsions. We are adamant. We need to shine a light on this issue. We need the information, we need the stats and we need to deal with it head on and find out what we can do to prevent such young children with such specific needs being expelled and suspended at a much higher rate than their peers in mainstream schools. It is profoundly wrong and we need to get to the bottom of it.