The idea of independent assessments (Letters, 5 January) is an example of many solutions offered to address the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (Send). However, in all the coverage, little attention has been paid to the core of the problem: the fair distribution of available resources to reflect differing levels of need. Few ask what an ideal system would look like, and whether what we are doing now moves towards or away from that.
When we considered our local education authority’s response to the first Send code of practice in 1994, these questions were front and centre. Bureaucratic statements of Send were increasing rapidly as parents and schools demanded them for the resources they brought.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jan/10/the-ideal-way-to-assess-special-needs
