More Reading schoolchildren with special needs could have the chance to attend mainstream schools thanks to a new council scheme. Council members last night approved plans to investigate setting up a special needs unit at Prospect Technology College. Two mainstream primary schools in Reading already teach children with special needs and the unit will make it easer for them to go on to a mainstream secondary school. Coun. Jo Lovelock, chair of Reading’s Education Committee, said: ‘The response from the staff at Prospect Technology College and the mainstream primary schools where these pupils currently go has been very positive. The new unit will initially take six children but the council hopes to build it up to about 30.’
Reading Evening Post, October 14, 1998.

Television presenter Martin Bashir says special school for his disabled brother who died when he was 29 was more like a child-minding service and ‘things have not got much better’. Mr. Bashir has been making a documentary ‘Just One Chance’ about special education. He says local authorities have only a qualified duty to integrate children with special needs and there are loopholes available should schools wish to turn down those with disabilities. While acknowledging that the government is trying to increase the capability of schools to cater for children with special educational needs he points out that it is too late to make a difference for his brother.
The Daily Telegraph, October 12, 1998.

A disability help group has abandoned an experiment to help children with difficulties get into mainstream schools. The North East Access Centre, based at the University of Sunderland, was helping Sunderland Education Authority to put children from special schools like Barbara Priestman into mainstream. However, the group, whose speciality is helping disabled students get access to university, has decided to abandon its involvement because it does not feel it has the expertise to work with younger children. Malcolm Craddock, assistant director of education Sunderland Council, said the Centre was one of many groups the Council was using in their programme of helping children into mainstream education. ‘It doesn’t rely on them. We have got to look at as many different ways of helping as possible. There is a feeling of apprehension and we want to bring in third parties. They were one of the agencies we were hoping to use. There are other doors open to us.’
Sunderland Echo, October 9, 1998.

The axe fell on eight special schools in Sunderland last night in a massive shake-up of the city’s education system. A special meeting of Sunderland Council’s education committee voted overwhelmingly to close down eight special schools to make way for a number of new special schools and improved facilities at a number of mainstream schools. Parents of children at Barbara Priestman who packed the public gallery at the Civic Centre were furious at the decision.
Sunderland Echo, October 16, 1998.

Years of patient teaching at Waveney Special School in Tonbridge have helped eight-year-old James Spink to become ’95 per cent normal’, says his mother Sandra. But she fears the care and attention shown to James and the other children will be wasted if they are forced into mainstream education at 11 as a result of changes proposed by Kent County Council. KCC spokesman Jackie Marks told Tonbridge Courier that education chiefs were aware that parents were worried. But the chosen plan would take two or three years to put into action and during that time SEN provision in mainstream would be enhanced.
Tonbridge Courier, October 23, 1998.

In a letter to the Sunderland Echo, a parent, Linda Anderton, claims that Sunderland Council is operating a policy of ‘selective inclusion’. She says Barbara Priestman will cease to exist as a school for physically disabled children but the fundamental structure of the remaining special schools will remain the same, although in some cases pupils may change sites. Although the Council had told her that this was the first stage in a policy of total inclusion for all pupils with special needs she found it hard to believe the Council would spend considerable sums of money on refurbishing or even building special schools when they will eventually be integrating all pupils into mainstream schools.
Sunderland Echo, October 27, 1998.

Alderman Knight Special School is being crucified by cuts made by Gloucestershire County Council, says its chairman of governors, Joe Kent. According to Mr. Kent county plans to integrate the 1,300 pupils in special schools into mainstream schools will damage the schools and the future of the youngsters. He says staff could lose their jobs and the quality of teaching will be adversely affected.
Gloucestershire Echo, October 29, 1998.