The legal rights to an education that meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are under threat. Many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether.
As new education reforms loom, every sign from the government suggests the right to an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is to be removed from children attending mainstream schools. Local authorities want EHCPs drastically reduced, or removed altogether, to relieve them of duties they often find costly and troublesome.
About 85% of children with Send are educated in mainstream settings. Over 270,000 of these children have EHCPs. These legally enforceable documents detail a child or young person’s needs, and the support to enable them to fulfil their individual potential. EHCPs allow children and young people with all kinds of disabilities to receive an education.
Without statutory support, underpinned by necessary extra resources for schools, it’s extremely unlikely that ministers will achieve their aim of more children with Send thriving, or even surviving, in mainstream education. A reduction or complete snatching-away of EHCPs in mainstream education wouldn’t mean their needs magically vanish. It would, instead, increase applications for already overcrowded special schools or mean they would be forced out of school altogether.
We believe the public are on our side, and we support the newly launched Save Our Children’s Rights (SOCR) campaign led by Special Needs Jungle, IPSEA and others. This campaign is calling for EHCPs to be retained, now and in the future. SOCR’s recent petition reflecting this aim rapidly passed 100,000 signatures, meaning the issue will be considered for a parliamentary debate, and is still growing.
For more than 40 years, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities have had a statutory right to an education that meets their needs. Set alongside catastrophic plans to cut benefits for disabled people, this raises the question of who we are as a country and the kind of society in which we want to live. Whatever the Send system’s problems, the answer is not to remove the rights of children and young people. Families cannot afford to lose these precious legal protections.
Amel Alghrani Professor, school of law and social justice, University of Liverpool
Elizabeth Archer CEO, PDA Society
Jane Asher President, National Autistic Society
Prof Simon Baron-Cohen Director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
Anna Bird CEO, Contact
Ian Birrell Journalist and disability campaigner
Alison Bloomer Editor, Learning Disability Today
Carol Boys Chief executive, Down’s Syndrome Association
Lucy Bray Professor in child health literacy, Edge Hill University
Jane Campbell Disability rights campaigner
Madeleine Cassidy CEO, IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice)
Samantha Clark CEO, Learning Disability England
Luke Clements Cerebra professor of law and social justice, Leeds University
Dr Mine Conkbayir Early years researcher, author and consultant
Justin Cooke Head of policy and influencing, National Deaf Children’s Society
Claire Coussins Director of fundraising and engagement, Kids
Claire Dorer CEO, National Association of Special Schools
Rachel Filmer Founder, Send Rights Alliance
Anita Franklin Professor of childhood studies, Manchester Metropolitan University
Carrie Grant Broadcaster and Send parent
Fazilet Hadi Head of policy, Disability Rights UK
Jane Harris CEO, Speech and Language UK
John Harris Journalist, writer and Send parent
Angela Hassiotis Professor in intellectual disability, University College London
Ben Higgins CEO, Bild
Cherylee Houston Actor and disability campaigner
Dr Rhidian Hughes CEO, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
Sarah Johnson President, PRUsAP
Dr Anna Kennedy Autism charity founder and campaigner
Jolanta Lasota CEO, Ambitious About Autism
Dr Tony Lloyd Former CEO, ADHD Foundation
Christine McGuinness Broadcaster, campaigner and Send parent
David Mitchell Novelist and Send parent
Rosa Monckton Disability and Send campaigner
Emma Murphy Managing director, INFACT (Independent Fetal Anti Convulsant Trust)
Chris Packham Broadcaster and neurodiversity campaigner
Scarlet Page Photographer and Send parent
Liz Pellicano Professor of autism research, University College London
Sally Phillips Actor, campaigner and Send parent
Sharon Pratt Founder member, Send National Crisis
Tom Purser CEO, Autism Action
Brian Roberts Director of education and wellbeing, National Association for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and Send parent
Katherine Runswick-Cole Professor and chair in education, University of Sheffield
Sara Ryan Professor of social care, Manchester Metropolitan University
Saba Salman Journalist and campaigner
Melissa Simmonds Autistic campaigner and Send parent
Tom Shakespeare Professor of disability research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Stephanie Shirley Autism philanthropist and businesswoman
Caroline Stevens CEO, National Autistic Society
Jon Sparkes CEO, Mencap
Rachel Stevenson CEO, Reverse Rett
Tania Tirraoro and Renata Watts Co-directors, Special Needs Jungle
James Watson-O’Neill Chief executive, Sense
Eleanor Wright Legal officer, SOS!SEN
Stephen Unwin Director, writer and Send parent
Suzy Yardley CEO, Child Autism UK
and 50 others (full list at www.saveourchildrensrights.org.uk)
