A mum of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has warned that the government’s latest proposals will put a generation of children at risk of systemic trauma.
Zena Goldman, 51, was speaking at the Save Our Children’s Rights protest in Nottingham on Saturday (May 9).
Demonstrations against the proposal – which would shift the emphasis of SEND support towards greater inclusion in mainstream settings, rather than specialist environments – took place up and down the country.
The government say the number of children on education, health and care plans (EHCPs) has risen sharply over the last decade, as have financial pressures on local authorities.
The Nottingham rally – one of 12 in total – was part of a coordinated national day of action, with families, educators and supporters raising concerns about the reforms.
Zena, a mum of two – one of whom is in a specialist school and has an EHCP – fears that children’s needs are not being taken seriously.
She said: “The worry for me is that they are saying children with SEND don’t really matter, when actually, neurodivergent people are some of the gamechangers in the world.
“We need people to see the world differently.
“These proposals are going to put a whole generation of vulnerable children and their families at further risk of systemic trauma.
“If Bridget (Phillipson, Education Secretary) is so passionate about life outcomes then come down here and listen to us.”
The proposal includes major reforms to the system of support for children and young people with SEND in England.
The existing system – which supports around 1.7 million children in the country – was introduced in 2014.
It allows those with the most severe needs to be granted EHCPs.
But the proposal would focus on a new system called Individual Support Plans and introduces a new tiered approach to support: targeted, targeted plus, and specialist.
Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome was also at the protest and criticised the proposal.
She said: “This is a national scandal.
“I know from the number of parents in my constituency who contact me about these issues that it’s not just a handful of cases – it’s truly a systemic one.
“Children with SEND haven’t been prioritised and promises have been broken.
“We had an opportunity with the Labour government to act, so I am incredibly disappointed that the white paper instead has proposals that would eliminate the rights children with SEND have.
“I will continue to fight for a truly inclusive education system and preserve the rights of children with SEND.”
