The Green Party’s Co-Leader has today written to the
Education Secretary over what he describes as
a “new low” in the education system.
Bartley appeared on a BBC Breakfast report this
morning into SEND children [1]. During the course of the
programme a headteacher admitted that his school has often had to
ask parents to remove their disabled children, and others
with additional needs from his school because they do not
have the staff resources to properly support them.
Mr Bartley’s letter to Ms Greening asks her to disclose how
many schools are facing similar problems and what she intends to
do to address it.
Speaking after his appearance on BBC Breakfast, Mr Bartley
said:
“This is a new low for the education system which is
becoming a hostile environment for disabled children
and those with additional needs. It is unacceptable and
clearly discriminatory for children to be sent home from
school because of a lack of resources.
“As the father of a child with special needs I am no
stranger to the challenges and barriers children face in
accessing school. But the disclosure from the headteacher I heard
from this morning was on another level. It’s not just a case
that the support in schools for children with additional
needs is poor: in some cases it is totally non-existent.
Children are now being denied access
to education.
“Education is a right for everyone not an
optional extra. This is something that urgently needs
addressing and that is why I have written to the Secretary of
State.”
Notes
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09gsfkp
[2] Full text of letter:
Dear Justine,
Today at a BBC Breakfast event in Manchester the
headteacher of a local school told me how, as a result of
year-on-year cuts to the education budget, his school often has
to ask parents of SEND children to take them home because they do
not have the staff in place to support them.
As the father of a son with spina bifida I was heartbroken
to hear that story. I can only imagine how demoralising it must
be for the parents of the SEND pupils at that headteacher’s
school to know that their children are routinely missing out on
an education. I am in no doubt that the headteacher is doing all
he can to support those pupils but of course he can only manage
with the resources he has at his disposal.
I’d like to know:
a) Do you know the extent to
which SEND children are missing out on school days because
mainstream schools do not have the resources to support
them?
b) Given that this
seems to be a not irregular problem, what the government is going
to do to address it?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours,
Co-Leader of the Green Party
