The NEU is supporting the SEND National Crisis campaign day today by asking the government to increase special educational needs funding
The National Education Union is supporting today’s SEND National Crisis campaign day by joining its call on the government to provide more money for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). More than 25 events are happening nationwide.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), will be present at today’s noon hand-in of the SEND National Crisis at Downing Street, and at the subsequent rally in Parliament Square from 1pm. The petition has been signed by 14,000 people.
The NEU recently revealed that special needs provision in England has lost out on £1.2bn since 2015, because of shortfalls in funding increases from central government.
Funding granted to local authorities has failed to keep pace with rapidly-increasing demand for SEND provision.
The number of children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan has increased by 33% since 2015. This contrasts with a six per cent increase in the high needs block funding over the same period.
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said: “This is clearly a crisis, with pupils and parents bearing the brunt of real-terms funding cuts and the wholly inadequate planning by the government.
“Last year, when the NEU won an additional £350m for children and young people with additional needs, the government admitted that ‘more needs to be done’. We hold them to those words today.”
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