News Release

12th October 2004

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

Michael Fabricant has welcomed the publication of an Ofsted report which would overturn Labour Government and Staffordshire Council policy to force children with special educational needs to be integrated in mainstream schools. "This has jeopardised the future of schools like Queen's Croft in Lichfield and may force its merger with other special needs schools. A report on inclusion by Ofsted inspectors has said schools find particular problems in taking children with behavioural difficulties. The chief inspector for England, David Bell, has said 'There's no point in running away from that. We have to accept that it's one of the harder parts of inclusion and we need to look carefully at how many such children can be included.' And I agree." says Michael Fabricant.

"I hope that Staffordshire Local Education Authority will now reconsider its proposals for special needs children. Putting them in mainstream schools is disruptive for other students and can be cruel for special needs children forced to attend mainstream schools."

Meanwhile The Conservative Shadow Education Secretary, Tim Collins, said, "It is deeply unfortunate that the Government's ideological approach to the inclusion of SEN pupils in mainstream education has led to the closure of 70 special schools since 1997. It is now quite clear that this approach has failed the many children who have been dumped on failing schools - creating a cycle of extra pressure on resources which in turn has led to a decline in standards. We believe that every child is unique and that diversity must be maintained in the state education system. I will therefore take action on the first day of an incoming Conservative government to impose a moratorium on the current special schools closure programme."