"Bridget Phillipson has been drawing up plans for several months to change the way children with extra needs are treated in the school system, and she is due to publish them in the form of a white paper in the new year. The education secretary is under pressure to come up with a cheaper and more efficient way to run the system, given the financial pressures caused by the recent rise in the number of children with conditions such as autism and ADHD."
"Parents' groups are concerned that Phillipson could do away with the system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which grant children the legal right to additional support and are often cumbersome to secure and costly to manage. Labour backbenchers say privately they are willing to rebel on the issue if the changes look as if they are aimed at saving money rather than improving the way the system is run."
"The moment of maximum danger for the prime minister will come in May when voters in Scotland and Wales will elect their devolved administrations and local elections will be held in parts of England including London. Labour and the Conservatives are each expected to take heavy losses in those elections, with Labour officials worried their party could finish third in Wales and in Scotland."
Bridget Phillipson has been developing plans to change how children with extra needs are treated in schools and will publish a white paper in the new year. The education secretary faces pressure to create a cheaper, more efficient system because of rising numbers of children with autism and ADHD. Parents' groups fear the plans could remove education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which legally secure additional support but are costly and slow to obtain. Labour backbenchers may rebel if reforms appear driven by cost-cutting rather than service improvement. Upcoming elections in May pose significant political risk to the prime minister.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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