Dec 1, 2022, Schools Week: END review response coming ‘early’ next year, and 3 things we learned at education questions https://schoolsweek.co.uk/send-review-response-coming-early-next-year-and-3-things-we-learned-at-education-questions/
Ministers faced questions from MPs in the House of Commons
Familiar faces returned to the government front benches this afternoon for the first education questions since the latest reshuffle.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan, schools minister Nick Gibb and skills minister Robert Halfon, who had all previously served as Department for Education ministers, were re-appointed last month.
Today, alongside new children’s minister Claire Coutinho, the team took questions from MPs for the first time.
1. SEND REVIEW RESPONSE COMING IN ‘EARLY’ 2023
Schools Week revealed last week how ministers had abandoned their pledge to decide on sweeping reforms to the broken special educational needs and disabilities system by the end of this calendar year.
Today, children’s minister Claire Coutinho confirmed the delay, but said Keegan had written to the sector to promise a response and improvement plan “early in the new year”.
Shadow minister Helen Hayes pointed out it had now been more than eight months since the review was published, and over four months since the consultation closed.
“While this government has been preoccupied with its own internal disputes, the trashing of the economy and an endless merry-go-round of reshuffles, children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families are left to suffer.”…
