Source: Epolitix: Conservative MP John Bercow makes the case for his Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) Bill, which has its second reading in the Commons.
Through my work conducting a review into children’s speech, language and communication services for the government, I already knew that children with special educational needs (SEN) were frequently being let down.
But the degree to which this vulnerable group of children are being failed by the school system was brought into stark reality when I saw the government’s scandalous exclusion figures. Children with SEN are nine times more likely to be excluded than any other children. So when I was drawn out of the private members’ ballot back in December it was a compelling opportunity to try to do something about the devastating lack of support that is leaving this vulnerable group of children unable to reach their full potential.
Far too few education professionals and schools have the appropriate skills, expertise and training to give the one in five children with an SEN the right support. There is no mandatory training for teachers in SEN issues, and despite their crucial role only new special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) will be expected to demonstrate their SEN knowledge from September this year.
This step forward is due to campaigning by the National Autistic Society (NAS) and others, but, even so, many SENCOs will not be covered by the requirement. My SEN Bill is drafted by the NAS and backed by the Special Educational Consortium. It has its second reading in Parliament on Friday May 15 and it aims to improve training for teaching staff, introduce a new requirement that inspections should consider how well schools meet the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities such as autism and reduce inappropriate exclusions of children with SEN.
The profound difficulties which children with SEN experience at school frequently go unheard and unrecognised, because their support is not reviewed and Ofsted inspections often ignore whether schools are meeting their responsibilities towards them. This is simply unacceptable, and schools and education authorities must be made accountable for the support that they provide. As a result of pressure from the Bill, children’s secretary Ed Balls has already committed to look at how Ofsted inspections can have a greater focus on SEN, so my Bill aims to ensure this becomes a reality.
I urge as many of my colleagues as possible to join me in Parliament on Friday to ensure vulnerable children get the support they need to reach their full potential, because when the right help is in place at the right time, children with SEN can and do flourish in school.
Source: Epolitix
Read the minutes from the second reading here
See also: Well said, Br Bercow!
What happened to this Bill?
Update on this Bill: The bill was withdrawn at Second Reading and did not become law.
The link is to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) Bill, Bill 26 of the 2008–09 Commons session. It aimed to require further training for teachers and specialist staff, improve access to specialist services, strengthen Ofsted/SEND inspection considerations, and add safeguards before permanently excluding disabled pupils or pupils with SEN.
It was a Private Member’s Bill — a Ballot Bill — sponsored by John Bercow, then MP for Buckingham. The official bill record shows it had only two Commons stages: First Reading on 21 January 2009 and Second Reading on 15 May 2009. It went no further: no committee stage, no report stage, no Lords stages, and no Royal Assent.
At the Second Reading debate on 15 May 2009, the minister gave a series of assurances instead of accepting the bill as drafted. These covered, among other things, SEN/disability training in initial teacher training, autism-specific training materials, children and young people’s plans including specialist services, Ofsted’s inspection framework, and guidance on exclusions of pupils with SEN.
John Bercow then said he had a list of 25 commitments he wanted from the Government and had been able to “tick off each and every one”. He said he was “not remotely bothered about or interested in a ‘Bercow Act’” and, “following the Minister’s assurances,” asked leave to withdraw the bill. Hansard records the outcome as: “Motion, by leave, withdrawn.”
Parliament’s own bill page summarises it plainly: “The Bill was debated at Second Reading on 15 May. Having been given assurances by the Minister, the Bill was withdrawn and will make no further progress.”
She is a rare disease & chronic pain patient advocate with Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
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