SEND funding crisis a moral failure of Government

Responding to today’s report by IPPR North, revealing that the Government has cut SEND funding per pupil by 17% over the last four years, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:
 
“It is one of the first duties of Government to support our most vulnerable children, and today’s report shows the Conservatives are clearly failing.
 
“SEND funding is an investment in a child’s future, helping someone with a learning difficulty or disability secure a higher paid job, security and independence in later life.
 
“Yet these children have been at the forefront of the schools funding crisis, with teaching assistants and other support staff often the first things to be cut.
 
“It’s time we demanded better of this Government. That’s why Liberal Democrats would invest millions more in Education, Health and Care Plans, freeing up money in the high needs budget to provide in-school support for children with less complex needs.”