Five former education secretaries have made a joint appeal to Labor MPs to overhaul special education provision in English schools, calling it a “generational opportunity” to fix a failing system.
The open letter was signed by David Blunkett, Estelle Morris, Charles Clarke, Ruth Kelly and Alan Johnson, who between them have been in office for a decade since 1997.
It comes ahead of a schools white paper to be published on Monday which sets out proposals to transform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SED) system, one of the defining policy challenges of Keir Starmer’s administration.
Downing Street is desperate to avoid any upheaval, bearing in mind that any repeat of the chaos that followed attempts to change benefits for the disabled could seriously undermine the Prime Minister’s authority.
The proposed changes to Despatch were received more positively by Labor MPs, not least because of near-universal acceptance that the current system was not working. But many are alarmed, especially by proposed changes to how children qualify for the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which they are legally entitled to support.
The letter written by former education secretaries is making a political reference.
“As former Labor education ministers, we know this is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn a broken system around for good, a unique opportunity to provide better life chances for millions of our country’s children,” read the letter, signed by education expert Jim Knight, who served as schools minister.
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said in the letter that the changes would “underline the importance of children feeling confident to attend their local mainstream school and developing lifelong friendships in their local community”.
“From our own experience, we know how difficult it is to get such reforms right,” the letter continues, noting that “after more than 18 months of consultation, the plan has been painstaking.”
They added: “We must not betray the millions of children across our country who deserve the best from their government and their politicians. These reforms will give those children more support, not less, after years of receiving too little, too late and too often the help they need.
“As ministers embark on the greatest reform this Government has yet produced, we urge all our colleagues and every Labor member to support those changes.”
While there will be considerable political focus on changes to EHCPs, which will face review when children move to secondary school, the wider focus of the White Paper is on the inclusion of children with all but the most severe needs in mainstream schools. Schools receive direct support for this.
A government source said: “MPs are understandably nervous about all this, not least because of all the letters they get, but for the most part they like the direction of travel.
“And when they see the final proposals, they will understand and welcome where we’re going with this. It’s a good Labor package, with good Labor values. We want parents to get the help they need without being forced into a legal battle with their council.
“The school system has not kept up with the pace of change children are experiencing in their lives. We absolutely reject this narrative of ‘over-determination’. It must be banished from the debate.”
Concerns continue among Labor MPs over a number of issues, including whether parents have the right to legal appeal if they feel their child is not being properly supported.
One said: “There is understandable concern among parents, but if the reforms promise an overall better system with enough time to smooth the transition, then I think MPs will recognize that.
“I think that’s where the challenges come in – if parents have enough confidence in the issue of a legal solution, they can hold schools and local authorities to account on the support they need to provide.”
