PRESS RELEASE : Children’s Minister responds to ‘Telegraph’ claims that green paper sparked by rising number of SEN pupils
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 28 July 2010.
Dear Sir,
There is no suggestion that the forthcoming green paper on children with special educational needs and disability has been sparked by recent statistics on this issue (‘Sharp rise in number of special needs pupils’, p.23, Friday 23 July 2010). I have been explicitly clear that I feel the current system for supporting children with SEN and disabilities is too adversarial and does not have children’s needs at its heart, and we need to look at how to improve the services these vulnerable children and their families receive.
I launched the green paper on 7 July 2010 because I strongly feel that children with special educational needs and disabilities should have the same opportunities as their peers. The system needs to be more family friendly so that parents don’t feel they have to battle to get the support their child needs.
Sarah Teather MP
Minister of State for Children and Families
