NUT backs Select Committee Report on special education needs

6 July 2006

Commenting on the House of Commons Select Committee report on special educational needs, Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of Europe’s largest teachers’ organisation, the NUT, said:

“Their must be an independent review of Government policy on inclusion and special educational needs provision. Simply making minor changes at the edges will not provide the transparency and coherence that is needed for the nation’s most vulnerable children.

“That review must address the fact that teachers, parents and children are being let down by the Government’s confused messages on inclusion.

“It insists there has been no change, yet the Government has moved from strict inclusion and closure of special schools to a more sensible pragmatic approach but it has been unwilling to spell this out. As a result, local authorities are still closing special schools against a background of continuing need.

“I am delighted that the committee has pointed to the lack of transparency over the admission of children with special education needs to academies. The suggestion that such schools should be subject to the same requirement as all other schools is a practical response to a practice of refusing entry which is all too common.

“Once again the Government has been warned of the damaging impact its Education and Inspections Bill will have on children with special needs. The Bill wants autonomous independent schools yet the SEN strategy envisages clusters and communities of schools working to promote special educational provision.

“As the committee says, this contradiction must be resolved in favour of schools working together.”