Leicestershire protest over special school place shortage

Parents of children with special needs in Leicestershire who still have not got a school place have held a protest.

The families of some of the children affected gathered outside County Hall in Glenfield to demand action.

Campaigner Zuffar Haq said the council should apologise to parents and said it should be fined for each day children missed school.

The county council apologised and said it was dealing with high demand and insufficient funding.

Mr Haq said the council had "failed these children" and highlighted even those with places were sometimes forced to take 90 minute bus journeys to school.

"I want an inquiry. I want someone to take a look at this and ask 'What is going on with this service?'

"Parents can be fined for not sending their children to school but the county council thinks it is perfectly fine not to be able to find a place for a child for weeks.

"The council should be fined for every day they can't find a place for any child," he said.

The council has said it has invested £30m in special needs provision since 2018, creating more than 500 new places.

But it also admitted demand had risen by 40% and there were 150 children currently without a place in a suitable school - 47 of which had no permanent place at all.

Jane Moore, director of children and family services, insisted the council was working "tirelessly" to improve the service.

"We are absolutely passionate about getting it right for these children but we are restricted by some of the national policy and the funding.

"I want to reassure parents we are listening, we care deeply about the children and we are working really hard to get it right for those children," she said.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "The national context is that the system for supporting children with special educational needs is under enormous pressure because it is not funded adequately by the government.

"This leaves schools and local authorities in the very challenging situation of having to meet needs for the most vulnerable young people in our society without the resources they require."

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