The government is treating children with SEND as an afterthought in its education policies, education specialists and charities are warning.
DR UK’s Head of Policy, Fazilet Hadi, said: “Despite children with Education and Health Care Plans being classed as ‘vulnerable’, despite nearly 50 DPOs demanding clarity in a letter sent last week, despite 60 Local Authorities being at loggerheads with the government regarding its plans for schools to reopen today, despite strong opposition from teaching unions about the safety of a return to school at this time, and with at least half of all parents expected to keep their children at home, the government didn’t see fit to even tack on half-baked plans for children with SEND to its proposals until this weekend.
“What the government has finally issued beggars belief. The modifications extension document released over the weekend says in essence, if it’s too hard to make the necessary adaptations for children as per their EHC Plans, Local Authorities don’t need to bother. The government has, at the drop of a hat, further extended the length of time disabled families have to endure being in a precarious position by shoving the legal rights of children with SEND to vital adaptations down the list of priorities. All rights to the delivery of EHC Plan content are completely off the table for the whole of June.”
“It speaks for itself that the letter released by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Vicky Ford MP this weekend completely omitted to mention the modifications.”
The government’s updated guidance can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings
A seminar by barristers 39 Essex Chambers on the entitlements of children and young people with SEND during the Coronavirus crisis can be found here: