So, like, there’s this big debate going on in England right now about kids with special needs potentially losing their right to extra support in schools. I mean, we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of children who might be affected by these changes. Crazy, right?
The whole thing revolves around these education, health, and care plans (EHCPs) that families have been relying on for years to make sure their kids get the help they need for conditions like autism and mental health issues. But now, the government is thinking about shaking things up and maybe even doing away with EHCPs altogether. Talk about a major shift in how special educational needs are handled!
The system is apparently a hot mess financially, with EHCPs skyrocketing by 140% in recent years and councils struggling to keep up. The school standards minister is all like, “Yeah, the current model isn’t cutting it,” and they’re working on a new system for Send support. But what does that mean for the kids who depend on EHCPs to get the support they need? Will they be left in the lurch? I’m not really sure why this matters, but it seems like a pretty big deal.
