Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009

My Lords, I emphasise from the start that we on these Benches are not opposed to training, especially in the field of special educational needs. However, we feel that this SI has consequences that the Government did not intend. The SI applies only to SENCOs who have been in post for less than a year, but there is an indication that the committee felt that all SENCOs should eventually gain this qualification. I ask the Minister how and when this training will take place. Will time away from their school duties be designated for special educational needs teachers? If so, who will replace them while they are training? If not, when are they expected to complete this qualification? The average SENCO may have other childcare commitments—lesson development work will be just one of their duties. My understanding of the SI is that it is widely accepted that SEN provision is patchy—but is this qualification the way forward? We must bear in mind the cost, not just in monetary terms but also in time. The figures given by the Government in the impact assessment do not reflect an honest picture of the cost and implications, nor indicate who will pick up the bill. Is it expected that those undertaking the qualification will pay for, or contribute to, their training? Does the Minister appreciate that these proposals may lead to a two-tier system, in which some SENCOs may be disadvantaged if they do not have this qualification, despite their years of valuable experience? We on these Benches understand that this is a specialist field for teachers and that all support that can improve the quality of provision must be given. However, the Government’s proposals yet again undermine the ability of head teachers to ensure that appropriate assessments take place and, where they identify a failing, to decide what appropriate training should take place. Our main concern is that this will become a retrospective necessary qualification for teachers who have been in the profession for a long time. If SENCOs then decide that they would rather retire than continue, this would create a vacuum in the profession. There is already a shortage of people coming into this specialised area of teaching. Will the Minister tell us who has drawn up this qualification, and who was consulted? Has there been a debate about the contents of the qualification, and will the qualification have a review period? If so, when will the review take place, who will conduct it and will the results be made publicly available? Will the Minister also say on what grounds an impact assessment can be made when the Government do not know how many SENCOs there are? The SI estimates that 8,130 SENCOs will have to be replaced over a period of three years. Will the Minister explain how this figure has been reached? We all want the best possible provision of education for all our children, in particular for the most vulnerable in our society. They need continuity, as well as expertise that is not always summed up in a qualification. We have, in our teaching profession, some of the most dedicated and committed SENCOs, who would no doubt undergo training to improve their skills; but they must not be put at a disadvantage because they do not have a qualification that the Government have indicated must be a requirement for all SENCOs. Although the ideals and sentiments behind this policy are good, and improving our educational system, especially for those who need the extra help, is a top concern, I am worried that it is an ill thought-out, broad-brush scheme which will ignore the micro-expertise of our head teachers and teachers. It will incur escalating costs with little real benefit, much like the Government’s one-to-one tuition plan which is hurting SEN strategies in many schools by stretching resources and taking some of these pupils away from specialist SEN teachers. We would like the Government to show more trust in our education professionals and allow them to use their expertise and common sense. They should decide what their staff need and provide them with the support mechanisms to carry out regular assessments. In 2007-08, the Government’s bi-weekly e-mail to head teachers, if printed, would have contained as many words as the King James Bible and would have been 40 centimetres thick. Do we really want to add an extra burden on this noble profession? I will listen carefully to the Minister’s response.