A statement issued by the New Labour government repeated the assertion of secondary importance of inclusion. “For some children, a mainstream placement may not be right or not right just yet. We therefore confirm that specialist provision-often, but not always in special schools-will continue to play a vital role.” (DfEE, 1998, p.13). The problems created by the Warnock framework have been highlighted in two reports from the Audit commission (2002a; 2002b). These reports were highly critical of the current system. Many policy makers and organisations had been calling for the dismantling of the Warnock framework.
The response of the government to the grievances and failings of the Warnock framework “has not been to opt for fundamental reform”. Fresh calls to look into the Warnock framework have been ignored by the government in favour of a new ‘programme of action’ (DfES, 2004).
In the new programme of action the government have fortified and formalised the procedures which led to disputes between LEA’s and parents. These disputes centred on identification of SEN needs. The 1981 Education Act defined that learning difficulties by themselves do not mean a special need. The child has a “…special educational need if he or she has a learning difficulty which calls for special education provision to be made.” (Part IV 1996 Education Act). There was the Green Paper in 1997 (DfEE, 1997) in which there was no mention to the necessity to basically change and adapt the provision of SEN education to focus on issues of fairness and excellence. “… Nowhere is there any challenge to provision of the 1988 Education Act which has shaped educational provision according to a market ideology rooted in competition and survival of the fittest (Ball 1990a,b).
England for many years relied on its wealth from the manufacturing industry. A decline of this industry started after the Second World War across the developed world. England has shifted from a manufacturing to a service based economy. This has led to an increase in unemployment. The government position of redistributive tax and welfare benefits are being placed under enormous strain.
When Margaret Thatcher came to power these economic realities were beginning to take hold. The Thatcher government introduced the Education Reform Act in 1988. Schools had to operate like small businesses, they had to try to maximise their incomes. Even when Labour came to power in a landslide they embraced the market economy their ‘Third way’. These economic changes mean young people cannot be prepared for low-skilled jobs as these are disappearing, and the government can no longer afford education to focus on personal development it has to focus on the demands of the labour market. The people who find themselves educational ‘failures’ may find themselves unemployable benefit-dependent and adrift from society.
Education has become something which no longer supports the welfare of the individual, but is important factor in the development of the economy
The government have given parents the right to appeal to an independent tribunal when they have a dispute with a LEA in identifying needs (DfEE, 1994).
The Special Education Needs Disability Act (SENDA, 2001) reinforced the rights of children with a statement of Special Educational Needs to be educated in a mainstream school unless this was against the wishes of the parents. However improving the rights and strengths of parents doesn’t make parents choose the inclusive mainstream solutions. Special Needs Education is not the focus of education but is in the background. “A new system of inspection of schools, linked again to publication of results and to the ‘naming and shaming of schools’ identified as failing”. The changes experienced in schools have left “the needs of pupils with SEN as an afterthought” (Chris Lloyd, 1999).
Conclusion
The Green paper ‘Excellence for children’ (DfES, 1997a) was a key initiative for inclusive education, and provided the framework for future SEN policy. A second paper ‘Excellence for all children’- meeting special educational needs (DfEE, 1997b) stated there were high expectations for all children including those with SEN. A code of practice issued in 2001 (DfES, 2001) gave more responsibility to classroom teachers for SEN. Many pupils who had problems with bullying and discrimination were being defined as SEN pupils. This didn’t address the issues of troublesome behavior due to under-reaching social inequalities.
The SEN strategy of ‘Removing barriers to achievement’ (DfES, 2004) which aspired to bring SEN under the umbrella of child protection, has changed little. The policy provides a similar framework of child protection for SEN pupils similar to the protection in ‘Every child matters’. It provides the guidelines for special educational intervention in the context of social disadvantage, associated with educational failure, community breakdowns, and other problems “reconnecting educational difficulties wider issues in social and economic disadvantage” (Dyson, 2001, p103).
The statistics indicate that there has been relatively change. There has only been a 1% decrease in children going to special schools, and a 1% increase in pupils with a statement of SEN. The statement of SEN had been a source of disputes between parents and Lea’s. Legislation has been previously been passed to strengthen parental involvements in these disputes. Gender differences are still very pronounced with ¾ of pupils with SEN being male. Despite concerns about discrimination and institutional racism, ethnic minorities mainly Afro Caribbean, Irish continue to have the highest proportion of SEN pupils. The statistics show very little has changed over the last 25 years. The new programme of action ‘Removing barriers to achievement’ (DfES,20040 which addressed the reasons of educational disadvantage have amounted to very little.
Special needs pupils do not contribute directly to the government’s plans for a highly skilled workforce. The government with its policies is focussing on reducing the special needs education “.. Make education more innovative and responsive to the needs of individual children, so reducing our reliance on separate SEN structures and processes.” (DfES, 2004, Introduction). Inclusion is occurring but into the mainstream of schooling. The outcomes of high educational achievement are more important as these are related to the improvement of the economy. The differences between SEN and mainstream pupils will not be fully recognised.
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Biblography
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