EducationNational 20h 46m left
Should the government increase overall education spending to better support children with SEND?
Over 1.8 million pupils in England receive SEND support, with EHCP numbers rising 12.5% to 718,838 in January 2026. Government spending on high-needs SEND has more than doubled since 2015 and faces a projected £6 billion shortfall by 2028-29 despite recent £4 billion investment in inclusive mainstream support and specialist services. Councils report ongoing deficits and rising demand, prompting reforms to shift more provision into mainstream schools.
4 Opinions
If we weren't broke as a country, I would say yes. But we dont have the money.
No, education should not be a government task. It should be parents and pupils, students choice. The longer we have state in charge of education the less educated society we have.
No. Classification has ballooned to 1.8m pupils, an unsustainable over-diagnosis driven by incentives, not genuine need. High-needs spending has already more than doubled since 2015 yet deficits and demand keep rising, proving money alone fails. Extra cash would fund inefficiency and weak programmes rather than core teaching, behaviour standards and early intervention that actually work. Focus on reform and accountability first.
I mean fundamentally, my answer is the opposite. Should SEND students get more funding and support? Absolutely. However, pouring billions into an unreformed SEND system is pouring water into a leaking bucket. Before asking taxpayers for more, government must fix the broken market where private providers and transport firms charge councils extortionate fees for basic placements. Throwing cash at spiralling deficits without structural overhaul simply enriches private operators