SEND reforms ‘are a missed opportunity’ to dismantle the barriers driving disabled pupils from mainstream

The government’s long-awaited reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system are a missed opportunity to dismantle the barriers that continue to drive disabled young people out of mainstream schools, say inclusive education campaigners.

The reforms were laid out in a schools and SEND white paper and a SEND consultation document on Monday.

But The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) has raised “serious and urgent concerns” about the plans, which it said failed to meet the government’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson claimed her reforms meant children with SEND would finally “get the rights they deserve” and that more children would be educated “at a great local mainstream school”.

She pointed to an investment of £3.7 billion over the next four years, which will include funding to make buildings accessible, and create tens of thousands of new places in “inclusion bases” in mainstream schools, as well as creating new special school places.

But ALLFIE said this would continue to “reinforce segregation” of disabled children and young people by rebranding SEN units in mainstream schools as inclusion bases and suggesting this was “progress” (see separate story).

In its initial response to the white paper and consultation, ALLFIE said they demonstrated “no real commitment to inclusive education”.

It said it was concerned that the proposed reforms would fail to “streamline the system, improve standards, increase accountability, and promote inclusion for every disabled child and young person” and would not improve the workforce.

And ALLFIE called for “urgent scrutiny” of the government’s position, which it said could breach the Equality Act and the government’s UNCRPD commitment.

Navin Kikabhai, ALLFIE’s chair, said: “The schools white paper and SEND reform reinforce the government’s contempt for disabled people.

“They speak of inclusion while rebranding SEN units as inclusion bases.

“This does not address the underlining structural issues that repeatedly exclude disabled children and young people from mainstream schools.

“More must be done to implement the UNCRPD into domestic law and practice.”

ALLFIE called for the government to phase out segregated education, take action to end disablism and discrimination within the education system, and end the use of force, restraint and seclusion units in education settings.

Although it said it was too early to comment on the white paper and consultation document, People First (Self Advocacy), which is run by and for people with learning difficulties and is a member of ALLFIE’s Coalition for Inclusive Education, called on the government to incorporate UNCRPD’s article 24 (on inclusive education) into law.

Andrew Lee, director of People First, said: “All disabled learners must live independently and have choice and control in their lives and school is where you lay the foundations.”

Another member of the ALLFIE coalition, Disability Rights UK, said access to EHCPs was “a lifeline” for those who have one.

Bethany Bale, DR UK’s education policy officer, said: “The government has argued for too long that ‘the SEND system is financially unsustainable’ for us to believe that these reforms are anything but a cost-cutting exercise, especially when these reforms are accompanied by such inadequate investment.

“The Department for Education has failed to ensure that current legislation is delivered, so it’s unclear how they plan to ensure new legislation will be.

“The law isn’t the current issue with SEND provision; the problem is a lack of accountability for those who don’t meet their obligations.

“We are concerned that any attempts to change the law are aimed at diluting our rights and limiting access to support, especially in the context of recent cuts to our social security.

“We welcome the government’s aim to improve consistency across the country but urge them to achieve this within the current legal framework.”

Picture: Andrew Lee (left), Bridget Phillipson, and Navin Kikabhai (right)