Government ‘failed’ children with special educational needs in pandemic, inquiry by MPs finds

Report should be ‘wake-up call’ to ministers, union leader says

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and their families told the inquiry they felt ‘forgotten’ and ‘overlooked’, report says (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been “failed” by the government during the coronavirus pandemic, an inquiry by MPs has found.

Schools and families were forced to “pick up the pieces” due to a lack of government support, the cross-party group found.

Their report, which looked at the experiences of children and young people with SEND in educational settings during the pandemic, said these pupils and their families felt “forgotten, left-behind and overlooked” over the past year.