Special Needs Cuts Discriminate, Says Head Teacher

A head teacher has described funding cuts of post-16 students in special schools as “blatant discrimination” which could result in tragedy.

The assembly government used to fully fund such students in the past.

But it has now indicated it will fund only 95% of their costs this year and 69% the following year. It says it is looking at other ways to find funding.

Peter Tudor, head teacher of Ysgol Cedewain, Newtown, said he believed the funding cuts may be illegal.

He said: “Its absolutely bizarre because the children in these schools have an equal right to their education as any other child.

“Its nothing less than blatant discrimination, absolutely.”

The fact they’ve specifically targeted children with special needs can only be described as discrimination against these children Peter Tudor, head teacher

Mr Tudor said he met with the other members of the North Wales Federation of Special School Head Teachers and that they all agreed that point.

He said: “The fact they’ve specifically targeted children with special needs can only be described as discrimination against these children.”

Mr Tudor said some of the children at his school have very challenging conditions such as autism. Others live with life- threatening conditions.

Tragedy risk

He said cutting back on the children’s education would deprive them of their statutory rights, but cutting back on their care could have unthinkable consequences.

“That would lead to tragedy,” he said. “If I haven’t got the staff, what’s going to happen?”

Mr Tudor said his school had been put in the first class in each category of their inspection by Estyn but that such excellence was endangered by the cut back.

He said: “They’re suggesting we cut staffing by 31%. I can’t cut staffing by 31%. A 31% cut would take us to a very poor level of quality.”

The head teacher said the North Wales Federation of Special School Head Teachers and other bodies were taking legal advice on challenging the assembly government’s funding decision.

He said “I genuinely believe this is actually illegal discrimination. That’s what this school will try to prove.

“I genuinely really do feel that this is something that has to be fought and fought now.

“We simply won’t be able to offer a child what that child has a statutory right to receive.”

Mr Tudor said it was particularly difficult that schools were only told of the cuts three weeks before their budgets were finalised.

‘Financial constraints’

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate the financial constraints faced by both local authorities and colleges in meeting the needs of young people with special needs.

“The amount of funding allocated to local authorities for post-16 special educational needs (SEN) provision has more than doubled since 2003.

“This rate of increase, however, is not sustainable and we are presently investigating, with the help of authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), alternative means of allocating funding received by authorities for their post-16 special school provision.”

The spokesperson said initial allocations had been made to local authorities for SEN post-16 provision in 2010-11.

She said these allocations are based on initial funding estimates provided by local authorities, and on the budget for this provision set by the assembly in 2009.

She added: “If, at the end of the financial year, uncommitted resources are identified elsewhere in the department, all funding pressures, including these on SEN in sixth forms and colleges, will be given due consideration.”