Commenting on Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities, a report by the House of Commons Education
Committee, Kevin
Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“Today’s report is a stark lesson for Government in the
consequences of short-termism and buck-passing. The culture this
creates is an incubator for further difficulties in later
life.
“Schools and local authorities want to provide the best possible
support for SEND pupils, but the tools needed are generally no
longer available due to cuts to local services. Fundamentally it
is a question of central funding which has simply not kept up
with demand. 93% of local authorities have lost out on SEND
funding since 2015 because of Government cuts to special needs
provision. The recent announcement of an additional £780 million
for SEND is clearly inadequate in the face of a £1.7 billion
shortfall.
“The wider picture is that the real-terms funding crisis in
schools and colleges has damaged the support available to SEND
pupils. It has resulted in the letting go of teaching assistants
and specialist staff. Meanwhile, the number of children with
Education Health and Care plans increases.
“Children have one chance in education, and SEND pupils need the
right levels of funding right now.”
