More MPs debate the SEND crisis in parliament

2 mins read

Monday 21 October 2024

MPs once again raised the issue of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Westminster Hall.

Jess Aato, MP for Lowestoft, held a debate on SEND provision in the East of England. Around 30 MP’s spoke about failures in the current special educational needs system in England.

MPs discussed:

  • Delays in the education, health and care (EHC) plan process, which breach legally-mandated timescales.
  • The fining of parents whose children cannot attend school as they are awaiting an appropriate school setting, or their child cannot attend because of illness or unmet need.
  • Long waiting times for health assessments and diagnosis.
  • The postcode lottery of SEND funding.
  • The need for greater support for children with SEN in mainstream schools.
  • The lack of accountability for local authorities who routinely breach their legal obligations to disabled children.
  • Non-elective home education and illegal exclusions.

Jess Aato said: “We seem to forget that education is a right, as well as a legal requirement. Where is the right to education for children with SEND? The delays parents experience serve only as a ‘how high can you jump?’ barrier, and send the signal that children with SEND are second- class citizens.”

What Contact thinks

We welcome that so many MPs understand the challenges within the current system and recognise that it is indeed in urgent need of change. And we are grateful that the Minister for Schools has responded by saying it is vital for the SEND system to be fixed and that it is one of her priorities.

We want the government to establish an accountability system so that it is no longer acceptable for local government to routinely ignore the law. Our accountability paper details a few quick wins that would strengthen the ability for the government to ensure that SEND law is implemented.

We would like to hear about your experiences of the SEND crisis and how supported you have been by your local authority.

Please get in touch with us by email at [email protected],uk