(UK) Education official slams Reform Party for dismissing special needs kids as 'naughty'
- The end of childhood
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
Dec 22, 2025, Mirror: EXCLUSIVE: Leading minister slams Reform UK for 'blaming' parents over special needs
Schools standards minister Georgia Gould slapped down comments about SEND from Reform figures, which have included claims of children being 'naughty' and bad parenting
The education minister leading efforts to overhaul the special education needs and disabilities system has criticised Reform UK for “blaming” parents.
Schools standards minister Georgia Gould slapped down comments from party figures, which have included claims of children being “naughty”, bad parenting and an overdiagnosis of SEND issues.
She fiercely rejected the idea of parents doing something wrong and warned such claims impact children’s sense of identity and belonging at school.
Asked about Reform, Ms Gould told The Mirror : “I've seen comments about over diagnosis, comments about parents being the issue, about these being just naughty children.
“I think that when I speak to parents and young people, those comments have a real world impact for how they feel about themselves and their communities, how children feel with their sense of identity and belonging at school. I completely reject the idea that this is something that parents are doing wrong.
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