§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in the implementation of the Education Act 1981; how many children have been made the subject of special reports; and how many special schools have been closed and what alternative arrangements have been made.
§ The Earl of SwintonSome provisions of the Act were brought into force on 5th January 1982, and the remainder on 1st April 1983. My right honourable friends the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for Wales have made regulations covering the assessment of children and the approval of special schools, and guidance on the Act and regulations has been given in a number of circulars and circular letters.
After some seven months of the full implementation of the Act, the indications are that local education authorities have reviewed their procedures for assessing children, in consultation with the district health authorities, and that many authorities are reviewing the provision of special education for their areas. The 788WA Department of Education and Science has commissioned a research project to study developments in policy and practice in special education for 1983 to 1986.
The number of children with statements of special educational needs, made under the Education Act 1981, will not be known until the returns for 1983, which are due in the spring of 1984, have all been received from the local education authorities analysed.
To date, 37 special schools in England and three in Wales have been closed under the provisions of Section 14 of the Education Act 1981. Before the closures were approved, my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State were satisfied that suitable alternative arrangements were to be made. In most cases the pupils have transferred to other special schools for children with similar special educational needs, or to units in ordinary schools.