§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies his Department has234W (a) conducted and (b) evaluated into the effects on children of special educational units being taught in (i) main-stream schools and (ii) special schools. [56722]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe 1997 Green Paper "Excellence for all children: meeting special educational needs" set out our view that there are strong educational, moral and social grounds for educating children with special educational needs with their peers. The great majority of consultation responses to the Green Paper supported the principle of inclusion for such children wherever possible. We have commissioned a small-scale research project to assess the relative costs, benefits and practical implications of educating children with moderate learning difficulties in mainstream and special schools, and expect to publish the project's findings later this year.