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UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced £740m ($1bn) in funding for the adaptation of mainstream schools to provide services for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The money will be drawn from within a total education budget of around £6.7bn in the current budget. The decision follows a report last October from the National Audit Office which stated that the existing SEND system was in “urgent need of reform”. The BBC estimates that the number of SEND pupils in mainstream education in England has risen by a third since 2015-2016.
BBC News reports that Richard Horsfield, head teacher at Brighouse High School in West Yorkshire, England, is struggling with an inadequate budget to support SEND children within his classes – a problem partially exacerbated by the need to provide accessible infrastructure such as handrails and accessible bathrooms. Meanwhile the costs for crucial improvements such as broken lifts at the school run to around £250,000, monies that the school cannot afford. Richard Horsfield believes that most SEND pupils should be in mainstream schools to forge ahead with their learning with the right support – a concept currently being limited by funding and resources.
The government of the UK is calling on SEND pupils to attend schools near their home, and also aims to keep more children with SEND in mainstream education. Phillipson noted that just increasing funding without reforming the system was inadequate, adding that “What I’m also keen to make sure we do is reform the system overall. I know it’s frustrating but it’s so important we get it right.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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