Special Education in Parliament

In the month of July, before the summer recess, an unusually high number of issues related to special educational needs were raised the House of Commons during a period of only four weeks. At the time of writing Parliament had not yet reconvened for its new session in late October.     

Special Education in Parliament

Local management of schools and the numbers of pupils with or without statements of special educational needs attending various kinds of schools were recurring themes in parliamentary questions in the last three months of 1990 before the House of Commons adjourned for the Christmas recess.     

Special Education in Parliament

In late October, at the time of writing the new session of Parliament had yet to begin, and few questions related to special educational needs had yet been raised in the House of Commons. The questions and answers reported below come from the later stages of the previous session, in June and July, and were too numerous to include in the Parliamentary report in the September issue of the journal.     

Special Education in Parliament

Information about the future shape of the National Curriculum can be gleaned from replies to questions in the House of Commons over recent months, and also about the numbers and percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs, for whom the National Curriculum can potentially be modified or disapplied, under the terms of the Education Reform Act. The Bill received Royal Assent on July 29.     

Special Education in Parliament

At the time of writing the 1994 Education Bill is going through parliament. Efforts are being made to amend Part I on teacher training in order to avoid potential damage to training for special educational needs (see article on pp.7–8).     

Special Education in Parliament

The long awaited statement on the Government's response to the Warnock Report was made by Mr Mark Carlisle, Secretary of State for Education and Science, in the House of Commons on March 3.     

Special Education in Parliament

Physically handicapped students in higher and further education and disruptive behaviour in primary schools were among the themes that prompted recent questions in the House of Commons.     

Special Education in Parliament

The launch of a national curriculum, delegation of school budgets and greater school autonomy, all mentioned in the Queen's Speech on the opening of the new Parliament on June 25, will have implications for the education of children with special needs.     

Special Education in Parliament

The Bill to open up the inspection of schools to competition from commercial agencies received the Royal Assent on March 15, shortly before the dissolution of Parliament. The Education (Schools) Act 1992 reduces the role of Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) and local education authorities in the inspection of schools. It also provides for the publication of information about the quality of education provided by schools which is expected to include pupils' results in the General Certificate of Secondary Education and National Curriculum assessments at key stages.     

Special Education in Parliament

Although issues relating to special educational needs were raised frequently in Parliament during the passage of the Education Reform Bill, few questions on the implications of the new legislation for special education provision have been asked in the House of Commons since the Bill became law in July. Questions have related, for instance, to dyslexia, disabled students' allowances and the ascertainment and recording of pupils in Scotland.     

Special Education in Parliament

In addition to the Commons debate on special educational needs reported in the September issue, the final weeks of the last session of Parliament brought questions from Members of Parliament on such issues as funding under the recently enacted Further and Higher Education Act 1992, provisions related to pupils with physical disabilities in Wales and the league table of local educational authorities spending most on special education. At the time of writing Parliament had only just reconvened.     

Special Education in Parliament

The number of pupils with special educational needs attending maintained special schools in England fell from 95,660 in January 1989 to 93,051 in January 1990 according to figures given recently in written replies to questions in the House of Commons.