Commenting on the new report on support for children and young
people with special educational needs by the Public Accounts
Committee, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT
– The Teachers' Union, said:
“It is distressing to see that despite a 58% SEND funding
increase over the last ten years, the problem is so severe that
outcomes for children and young people have not improved. The
government has inherited a SEND system on its knees and in order
to ensure that no child is left any further behind, they face the
challenging task of rapid reform.
“It is clear from the PAC's report that reform is impossible
without a clear national plan that ensures the effective
involvement of schools and external services such as CAMHS and
social care. Essential services that were run into the ground
under the last government need to be part of the solution to
ending the SEND crisis.
“Meanwhile, there is a glaring hole in local authority finances
that grows bigger the longer we wait. We would welcome the
cancellation of this debt in order to allow local authorities to
get back on their feet and prevent further delays to lifesaving
support and education for pupils with SEND.
“Our members tell us that as the numbers of children with SEND in
their classrooms go up, their resources to meet such a diverse
range of needs go down. They desperately want to help their
pupils but often do not have what they need to succeed. In order
to build truly inclusive mainstream education, teachers must have
improved access to specialist training and the opportunity to
bring in appropriate professionals.
“Most schools cannot afford to employ enough teaching assistants.
This trend must be reversed so that pupils and teachers receive a
safe level of support.
“Children and young people with SEND should receive an education
delivered on the basis of need, not postcode.”
