Commenting on a new data release from the Department for
Education about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
provision, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“SEND is the missing issue from all of the party manifestos.
Where it is touched upon there is little detail about how parties
plan to tackle the SEND funding crisis. SEND students and the
staff working with them need a clear plan from a new government
setting out how mainstream schools will be made more inclusive so
that all children and young people are able to thrive and be
successful in education and life.
“The latest SEND data show a further increase in EHC plans to
4.8% which is over 430,000 students. Almost one in five students
is now identified as having SEND. This is clearly unsustainable
as it now leaves over a £6 billion funding shortfall in the High
Needs Block. Worryingly the upward trend for students with an EHC
plan qualifying for free school meals continues, with those
students still being twice as likely than those without an EHC
plan to be disadvantaged.
“Schools have, for far too long, been trying to paper over the
cracks left by the shortfall in SEND funding and a wholly
inadequate government strategy in the form of the SEND and
Alternative Provision Improvement Plan. They have been covering
the work not only of educators but SEND, speech and language and
mental health specialists as well, and this can't go on.”
