Education Secretary unveils £1.7million boost for pupils with special needs in win for The Sun's Give It Back campaign
THE Sun's Give It Back campaign was hailed by the Education Secretary yesterday, as she unveiled a £1.7million boost for pupils with special needs.
Funds announced by Bridget Phillipson allow up to 4,000 schools to borrow tech such as reading pens and iPads.
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The 'lending libraries' pilot will cover 32 local authorities, giving schools access to devices tailored to pupils' needs.
Reading pens scan and vocalise text, while tablets help non-verbal students communicate with images.
In school trials, 86 per cent of staff saw behavioural improvements.
It came as figures showed the number of kids with Education, Health and Care Plans — which detail extra supports needed by pupils — surged by 11 per cent to 638,700.
Our campaign calls on the Government to give funding to council budgets for social care and support for disabled children.
Ms Phillipson said too many were not having their needs identified early enough.
She added: 'We inherited a SEND system on its knees, and at the heart of these figures are families fighting for support that should just be readily available.
'Too many children are not having their needs identified at an early enough stage, creating a vicious cycle of overwhelmed local services and children's support needs escalating to crisis point.
'We're improving things right now and will break this vicious cycle with wide-ranging reform.'
Ms Phillipson said extra funding in schools — such as for wheelchair ramps — was 'supporting the goals of The Sun's Give it Back campaign'.
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