British Prime Minister talked special education
What does the government leader have to say?
Amidst international relations and financial perils, Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the ruling Labour Party and therefore Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, discussed concerns about efforts to reform special education services. Along with Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s Secretary of Education, Sir Starmer and his Labour colleagues are promoting an effort to reform the UK’s special education system. They are facing questioning about whether the reforms are appropriate, especially whether the changes will result in children losing services.
One of the key topics of discussion is whether moves to promote inclusion will result in scrapping of education, health and care plans. EHCPs guarantee that students will receive educational and other supports that address their documented. needs. EHCPs may prescribe everything from simple accommodations to attending a private school. Some advocates worry that reforms might invalidate some existing plans negotiated between schools and families, and some worry that EHCPs will be phased out altogether.
The discussions are taking place in the context of a report issued early in July 2025 by a selected panel of experts. See “Experts' report on inclusion in the UK: Is there anything substantive to be learned from people's descriptions of special education practices?.”
To learn more about the Prime Minister’s and Secretary’s recommendations, please see these news stories:
Jonathan Brady, The Times, 7 July 2025: “Special needs situation is ‘lose, lose, lose’, says Keir Starmer: The prime minister has pledged to press ahead with reforms despite the backlash from ministers“;
Joe Pike and Helen Sullivan, BBC News, 6 July 2025: “Government urged to keep education plans for children with special needs“;
Sally Weale and Peter Walker, The Guardian, 7 July 2025: “Blunkett urges ministers to use ‘incredible sensitivity’ when changing Send system in England: Former home secretary tells government to reassure parents there will be a ‘meaningful replacement’ for EHCPs“;
Caitlin Doherty, The Standard, 6 July 2025: “Campaigners urge Government to keep care plans for children with Send: In total, there were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January 2025, up 10.8% on the same point last year.“;
Nicholas Cecil, The Standard, 7 July 2025: “Minister dodges questions on special education for children as Starmer faces new revolt threat by Labour MPs: Education minister Stephen Morgan declined to say if pupils currently getting special educational needs support would continue to get the same level under planned reforms“;
Sam Carlisle, The Sun, 7 July 2025: “Is Starmer prepared to launch mother of all battles with SEND parents after his humiliating welfare reform climbdown? Parents have been so undermined, denied and frequently lied to by authorities that all trust has gone.“