Sunderland education chiefs have enlisted outside help to get their special needs shake-up right second time round. The Government rejected Sunderland Council’s first shake-up earlier this year, after objections from governors and parents at Barbara Priestman School. The Council has now brought in former school inspector John Elliot to give advice. In a report to the education sub-committee, education director, Dr John Williams, says an outside review is now timely. ‘There would clearly be advantages in this being carried out by somebody who had not been involved in the review process to date. This appealed to the governors of Barbara Priestman, who are keen to clarify the school’s future role within the city’s special needs provision.’
Sunderland Echo, December 1, 1999.

Pupils with statements of special educational needs for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia) placed in mainstream schools are making at least satisfactory progress, says Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) in a report. According to the report, dyslexic pupils who obtain additional specialist help for the greatest possible time before transfer to secondary school are less likely to experience emotional problems. Some schools are taking too long to give pupils a formal assessment which is wasting pupils’ time and lowering their confidence. The quality of teaching and support or dyslexic pupils is satisfactory in 94 per cent of lessons in primary schools and 90 per cent in secondary. The quality of teaching and support is often good or very good and occasionally excellent.
Education Today, December 8, 1999.

Calderdale Council has been criticised for proposing to save £30,000 a year by cutting support for pupils with special educational needs. In a letter to the editor, Jane Wainwright says: ‘Have they any idea of the problems and upset this will cause to children, parents and teachers? Why is it that when the Council has to make cuts the children have to suffer? Calderdale used to be known for its policy of placing children with special needs in mainstream schools, but now it seems to be going against its beliefs.’
Halifax Evening Courier, December 9, 1999.

Protesters caused four hours of chaos outside a specially resourced secondary school after it refused admission to a girl with cerebral palsy because she is ‘too disabled’. Zahrah Manuel, 11, who lives in West Hampstead, London, has disabilities which affect her movement. Despite recommendations by Camden Council for her to attend Whitefield School in Claremont Road, Cricklewood, the school has refused her admission claiming it does not have the resources to meet her needs. Campaigners from the Alliance for Inclusive Education, which fights for disabled children to be included in mainstream schools, congregated outside Whitefield which recently benefited from £750,000 to make it accessible to physically disabled students. Zahrah and her mother Preethi attended the demo which co-incided with the first full governors’ meeting of the term. Outraged head teacher, Barbara Howe, said it was no coincidence that the date for the demo co-incided with the meeting.
Hendon and Finchley Times, December 9, 1999.

Harrow children with physical disabilities and learning difficulties are to be integrated further than ever into mainstream schools. The new plans were made public only a day after schools’ watchdog Ofsted published a damning report on Whittlesea Special School in Harrow Weald. The programme which is expected to take between five and ten years to implement, would involve improving access and disabled facilities in a number of mainstream schools as well as recruiting specialist teachers to mainstream schools to teach special needs children. Head of schools and community services, Michael Hart, said: ‘This is an attempt to update our policy of ensuring that as many special needs children as possible are catered for in the borough’s mainstream schools. It is not a total revamping of Harrow’s provision for special needs children’.
Harrow Observer, December 9, 1999.

In Ireland measures to meet the special educational needs of children with disabilities, including autistic children, were approved by the Government after the Minister for Education and Science warned they were necessary to avoid the likelihood of further litigation by parents of such children, including claims for damages, it has emerged in the High Court. In a memorandum for Government the Minister said: ‘The inadequacies of current special education services are now being exposed in the High Court on an almost daily basis. In virtually every case, the State is being found to have failed in its obligation under Article 42 of the Constitution to provide for free primary education for all children.’
Irish Independent (Dublin), December 18, 1999.