Political opinion with John Milne MP: The challenge of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision
Last week I met with teachers responsible for Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision across Horsham District schools and further afield, along with parents of SEN children. They told me of a hopelessly overloaded system that in places is at breaking point. Sadly, it’s also breaking the finances of West Sussex County Council where the Dedicated Schools Grant deficit has hit £130 million this month.
There simply aren’t enough places in specialist schools. Meanwhile, mainstream schools are buckling under the strain of having to look after children who are inevitably more labour-intensive. Mainstream schools must endure the extra insult of being criticised for not being inclusive enough – when in truth they’re doing what they can under impossible pressure.
Separately, I met with a family who have four SEN children to care for all at once. The system isn’t good at understanding complex household needs from a holistic perspective. All four children go to different schools, while their parents never get so much as a day off from one year to the next. Their commitment is remarkable.
The number of SEN children nationally is increasing, and local authorities are visibly not coping. The best solution for all sides would be swift, effective intervention BEFORE the problem gets entrenched. But that is precisely the kind of service that’s been cut most savagely over the last 10 years. Once the kids fall behind in class, habits of distraction, disruption and absenteeism will inevitably form. It’s so much harder to undo these habits years later, if that can be done at all. That’s the wrong outcome for the families, but it’s also bad for the state because remedial attention is so much more expensive to provide.
The dismantling of Sure Start provision under the last government was a terrific error and we’re now paying the price. Investment in public services is every bit as important as investment in industry. I hope the current government sees that prevention is not just better than cure - it’s also far cheaper!