Isle of Wight Green Party’s parliamentary candidate, Vix Lowthion shares this latest news. Ed
Vix Lowthion, Green Party National Spokesperson for Education, joined dozens of other parents, teachers and councillors at Westminster this week in support of the campaign for funding to help children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The National Education Union organised the rally and walk to the Department of Education in the heart of the capital, to present their 34,000 strong petition to Education Secretary Damian Hinds asking him to properly fund SEND support in schools.
Children missing out due to lack of support and funding
Over 2,000 children with SEND are currently not attending school, due to the lack of support and funding to meet their many and varied needs.
Up to 91% of schools have seen cuts to their budgets – and in many cases this has led to losing the vital learning support assistants which SEND children need to access learning.
Sharing the rally platform
Vix Lowthion was joined on the rally platform by Mary Bousted from NEU, Geoff Barton from ASCL, James Frith MP, Michael Kane MP and Emma Hardy MP as well as Union leaders.
Emma Parker, a parent who travelled from County Durham, stood outside the DfE and spoke about her struggles to find appropriate schooling for her son James, 12, who has autism and ADHD (see video at bottom of article).
Appalling cuts to SEND education support
Vix said,
“Every single child in our schools is being affected by these appalling cuts to SEND education support for our most vulnerable and isolated young people.
“As a parent and a teacher I see the very real impact these school cuts have in the classroom every single day: we need an education system where everyone gets the same fair chance to achieve.
“Damian Hinds has been given a powerful message by parents and teacher from across the country, and I urge him to properly fund our SEND support and fulfil his basic statutory responsibilities.”
https://youtu.be/pNHrzttl5n8
