[senit] Saturday at BETT: disappointing for SEN?

I attended BETT this year on the Saturday. I went down from the North East
at my own expense and did not want to take time off school when we are in
the midst of IEP preparation and close to PLASC submission.

I wear two "hats" when I go to BETT, one SEN, the other MFL. The MFLers
really seem to have got their act together, perhaps realising that many
(most?) languages teachers can't get to the show on a weekday. Four of the
five MFL presentations at BETT were on the Saturday, and very good they were
too.

Compare this with SEN. Yes, the SEN stands were certainly interesting and I
went round them several times. However... No SEN Fringe on the Saturday. No
major SEN "seminars" either, just a few presentations by suppliers on very
specific pieces of software. The "Special Needs Village" seemed smaller than
I remember it last time I went to BETT. 6 hours instead of 8 on weekdays.

If the MFLers can put on a good show on the Saturday - the President Elect
of the Association for Language Learning was there in person all day - why
can't SEN do the same? Does anybody agree, or did your schools all send you
to BETT on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, when there was plenty to see and
do SEN-wise?

David Wilson
Harton Technology College, South Shields