The Alliance for Inclusive Education has secured cross party support for an Early Day Motion (EDM) on Inclusive Education. EDM 2481, celebrating 30 years of inclusive education, has now been tabled and is ready for MPs to sign.

Early Day Motions (EDMs) express issues put forward for debate in the House of Commons “on an early day”, i.e. an unspecified date in the future. In practice, very few are actually debated. Instead, EDMs act as a mechanism for MPs to draw attention to something important and for other MPs to register their support by signing.

Please take a few minutes to ask your MP to sign EDM 2481. You can contact your MP by going to http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ and entering your postcode. MPs need to keep signing in order for the EDM to stay live.

If you only have 30 seconds, you can send a simple message along the lines of: “please sign EDM 2481 and confirm your commitment to disabled children’s right to a good education in their local community.” If you can spare a few more minutes, you can also say why you think this is important.

EDM 2481 marks the 30th anniversary of the Education Act 1981, when for the first time parents were allowed to state a preference for an ordinary local school for their disabled child. The Act, which was passed with all-party support, specified the role of ordinary schools in meeting what it called “special educational needs” and recommended that children with labels of “special educational need” are educated in ordinary schools, as long as a number of conditions are met, including the wishes of the parents. Please ask your MP to stand up for disabled children’s right to inclusive education and celebrate this important anniversary.

The full text of EDM 2481, 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EDUCATION ACT 1981, appears below:

“That this House recognises the significant progress that has been made in the 30 years since the Education Act 1981 passed through Parliament with all-party support; notes that through an effective partnership between parents, schools, children and young people, education professionals and local authorities, inclusive education practice has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of disabled and non-disabled children; and believes that this legislation has played an important and positive role in building a society that values diversity and enables disabled people to realise their aspirations and make a positive contribution to society.”