They love an acronym in the Scottish Government. GIRFEC: have you come across that one? It means Getting It Right For Every Child. It’s the Scottish Government’s commitment to give all young people and their families the right support at the right time so they can reach their potential.

No one, surely, could disagree with GIRFEC. It encapsulates a nurturing vision in which every child’s unique needs are recognised and met in full: making systems fit the child instead of forcing children to conform to existing systems.

Unfortunately, GIRFEC is met with a hollow laugh by many parents and campaigners. This week’s Herald series on additional support needs (ASN) in schools shows why: for too many children, the right support isn’t there when needed. Parents having to give up their jobs to care for children who are being sent home from schools that can’t meet their needs, is not a system that is getting it right for every child.

Read more Rebecca McQuillan

This is a magma chamber that has started to erupt. The latest figures show that the proportion of children with ASN has now reached more than 40 per cent and could rise further.

“Additional” support needs are now firmly mainstream. The services provided for them however are sometimes treated as optional. Each one of these children needs more staff input in a range of ways, and yet both overall teacher numbers and specialist teacher head count are down. There are nearly 400 fewer ASN teachers now than in 2013.

There’s growing momentum around the idea that fundamental reform of schools is needed to cater better for this huge group of........

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