Shortage Of Educational Psychologists

EDM number 239 in 1990-91, proposed by Gerry Steinberg on 13/12/1990.

That this House notes with concern that the Association of Educational Psychologists reported that its most recent staffing survey reveals a distinct increase in vacancies for educational psychologists, that the position is particularly serious in London where one in three remains unfilled, that many children in urgent need of help and advice from an educational psychologist are waiting an unacceptable length of time, that as a result children with special education needs are suffering and that such delays inevitably cause great distress to families, that in an 18 month period vacancies have more than trebled and that of ú2.8 million support made available from the Government for initial training of educational psychologists only ú2.5 million has been allocated through local education authorities; calls upon the Government to re-look at the method of distribution of these funds to ensure a 100 per cent take up; and furthermore calls upon the Government to ensure local education authorities are able to provide an effective and appropriate psychology service to schools within their jurisdiction by allocation of the necessary resources.

This motion has been signed by a total of 138 MPs.