6:02pm Wednesday 20th April 2005
TORY policies for parents with special needs children were outlined when Eleanor Laing, who was Shadow Minister for Women in the last Parliament, joined Harlow's general election candidate Robert Halfon.
They met local parent Jackie Steadman who said that since 1997 three special schools and two special units had closed in Harlow.
Mr Halfon said a Conservative Government would give parents choice over schools their children could attend, and the Conservatives would end Labour's policy of forcing parents to send their children to mainstream schools.
Mrs Laing said: "Mr Blair's Government is closing schools for children with severe special educational needs.
"Since Mr Blair was elected, 79 special schools have closed despite the fact that the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs, such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder, has gone up. As a result children with learning difficulties and behavioural problems are being put into mainstream schools, where they do not get the help they need and can cause disruption."
Mr Halfon added: "Conservatives will stop the closure of special schools. We reject the one size fits all' mantra of automatic mainstreaming of SEN children, as pursued by Labour. Some children will benefit from inclusion in mainstream schools, but many will not.
"As part of the Right to Choose, we will ensure parents of children with SEN have real choices about appropriate education, and are not simply forced into options for administrative convenience."
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