ALLFIE responds to the Government new proposals for Special Educational Needs and Disability.

ALLFIE – the Alliance for Inclusive Education – is raising serious and urgent concerns over the Government’s newly announced Schools White Paper and SEND reform Consultation. The paper and consultation have actually been diluted by repeated leaks and countless news reports that have pre-empted them over the past six months. This demonstrates the low priority of Disabled children’s education on the Government’s agenda and no commitment to co-produce policy with Disabled Peoples Organisations.

The Government yesterday published two documents, SEND reform: putting children and young people first and Every child achieving and thriving, raising serious concerns about their commitment to Inclusive Education. The Government says that “Children with special educational needs and disabilities must be able to attend their local mainstream school and have their needs met by highly trained teachers, leaders and support staff, driving the highest standards for all.” This echoes ALLFIE’s position that “Schools must be places where every child is included, where they are supported and challenged to achieve and thrive – regardless of their needs or background.”

It has been ALLFIE’s long campaign and a foundation of our seven principles of Inclusive Education that “Every child deserves high-quality, inclusive education close to home, where they can learn, make friends, and participate in their community.”  

We are, however, concerned that the proposed reforms will not streamline the system, improve standards, increase accountability and promote inclusion for every Disabled child and young person. It will also not improve the workforce, ensuring that their approaches dismantle structural and systemic oppression within the education system.  

In fact, there is nothing new in this White paper and consultation. Almost everything had been leaked or already announced by the Department for Education in recent weeks. The DfE also contradicts itself, especially when it invites the public for “definitions of inclusion” but then also says that it is “crucial we go further to deliver inclusion for children with SEND” and that they will be “guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).” The UNCRPD already provides a definition on Inclusive Education, so this is a pointless exercise.

It is clear that the Government is aware that the UK does not have “a truly inclusive mainstream system, which means children with SEND have too often been sidelined.” However, it still proposes to continue to invest in segregated provisions with no real commitment to phase out segregated education other than setting up an Inclusive Mainstream Fund of £1.6 Million over three years. This is no real commitment to Inclusive Education.  

Disturbingly, the SEND reform consultation continues to reinforce segregation by rebranding SEN Units as “Inclusion Bases”, positioning segregated ‘Units’ within mainstream schools as progress. This ignores the lived experiences of Disabled children and young people, who often experience trauma and harm from being separated from their peers. ALLFIE warns that such measures could constitute a breach of the Equality Act 2010, as well as a failure to meet the UK government’s duty to advance the progressive realisation of Inclusive Education under Article 24 of the UNCRPD. We demand urgent scrutiny of this position.  

This moment was a real opportunity to revolutionise the education system by dismantling disabling and intersectional barriers that continue to drive Disabled people out of mainstream schools. Instead, the Schools White paper and SEND reform consultation present the education of Disabled children and young people as an ‘add on’, reinforcing an outdated medical model of disability that treats Disabled pupils as a problem to be managed. The continued investment in separate provisions shows no commitment to realising Disabled people’s right to Inclusive Education as envisioned by the drafters of the UNCRPD, who were mostly Disabled people and Disabled Peoples Organisations. Continuing to frame education as “special” is both offensive and regressive. It positions Disabled people’s participation in education as a favour, rather than recognising it as a fundamental human right. ALLFIE calls on the government to remove the reservations on Article 24 of the UNCRPD, and implement an Inclusive Education Act.

What ALLFIE wanted to see:  

• A clear plan to phase out segregated education with enforceable targets. 
• Investment in inclusive teacher training, including recruitment and support for Disabled teachers. 
• Action to end disablism, ablism and intersectional discrimination within education policy and practice. 
• The development of monitoring systems to track progress towards genuine inclusion, rooted in rights and social justice. 
• End the use of force, restraint and seclusion units in education settings. 
• Remove reservation on Article 24 on Inclusive Education of the UNCRPD  

ALLFIE Chairperson Navin Kikabhai said: “The Schools White paper and SEND reform reinforce the Government’s contempt for Disabled people. They speak of inclusion while rebranding SEN Units as Inclusion Bases. This does not address the underlining structural issues that repeatedly exclude Disabled children and young people from mainstream schools. More must be done to implement the UNCRPD into domestic law and practice.” 

ALLFIE demands the end of all forms of segregation that shuts Disabled children and young people out of mainstream schools. Additionally, ALLFIE calls for the introduction of a genuine Inclusive Education Act as set out in our report produced by the Coalition for Inclusive Education.  

ALLFIE is the only Disabled People’s Organisation, which campaigns for Inclusive Education for Disabled pupils and students. Formed in 1990, it is the only organisation led by Disabled people focused on campaigning and information-sharing on education, training and apprenticeship issues.