The Government has confirmed they are again delaying the
publication of their review of support for special educational
needs, initially announced in September 2019.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Special Educational Needs
and Disabilities has criticised this delay as “inexcusable” and
are calling on the Government to commit to publishing the review
before Parliament returns in September.
Labour MP , who is Chair of the All-Party group, said:
“This further delay is unacceptable and inexcusable - especially
after the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on
children and adults with special educational needs and
disabilities, who in many cases have been left without any
support over the past year. People with learning difficulties
have continually been an afterthought in Government response to
the pandemic – woefully neglected with terrible consequences.
Of course, it is important we get this right, but the Government
has had more than enough time to increase the involvement of key
stakeholders and publish this review, which was promised nearly a
year ago now. Delaying again will not help those being denied
support right now. We owe it to the people who have suffered this
year to publish the review findings as a matter of urgency - so
we can provide the essential support required and begin to
undergo the transformational change we need in SEND provision.”
According to a study by Public Health England, people with
learning disabilities were 6 times more likely to die from
COVID-19 than the general population during the first wave of the
pandemic.
The cross-party group of MPs earlier this year published the
findings of their inquiry into experiences of children and young
people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in
educational settings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The inquiry - launched in July 2020 and consisting of a number of
evidence sessions with parents, teachers and young people -
concluded that the Government and Department for Education did
not do enough to support the UK’s most vulnerable children and
young people during Covid-19, forcing schools and families to
“pick up the pieces.”
The report also highlighted issues with funding for SEND
provision, which was already wholly inadequate, with local
authorities, school settings and families reporting growing
deficits in the high-needs budget causing a failure to ensure the
needs of children and young people were being met. The report
found that the impact on schools of Covid-19 related costs and
loss of income had only exacerbated this crisis.
In the report the MPs called on the Secretary of State for
Education to publish the long-awaited SEND review and commit to
working with the cross-party group to ensure that Children and
Young People with SEND are placed at the centre of government’s
policies and decisions.
Earlier this month, Blake again asked the Secretary of State for
Education when his Department planned to publish the findings of
the review into support for special educational needs, originally
announced on 6 September 2019.
On Monday, Children’s Minister , published
her response: “The COVID-19 outbreak has unavoidably delayed the
pace of the work of the special educational needs and
disabilities (SEND) Review and materially altered the context for
reform. This is noted by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Amanda
Spielman, in her most recent report on putting children and young
people with SEND at the heart of our recovery plans.
We only have one chance to get this right and have, after careful
reflection, decided we should take more time to ensure our reform
plans can deliver the systemic change needed.
We will be using this time to make certain our plans complement
the wider work being done on recovery and school reform, and that
they have the longevity needed to offer stability to the sector.
We will work at pace over the coming months, closely with system
leaders, SEND organisations, schools, and parents, so that we are
in a strong position to publish bold proposals for public
consultation.”
Notes
APPG for SEND report Spring 2021: “Forgotten. Left behind.
Overlooked. The experiences of young people with SEND and their
educational transitions during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020”
APPG for
SEND Report Spring 2021.pdf (naht.org.uk)
