Special Educational Needs: Gender
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to help tackle gender disparities in the (a) identification and (b) provision of Education, Health and Care Plans.
Answered by Georgia Gould
The department is committed to strengthening the education, health and care (EHC) plan system so that children and young people get the support they need to help them achieve and thrive.
There are urgent issues to be addressed, and our priority will be to improve outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities so that they get the life chances they deserve.
We must ensure that needs are identified more effectively and that the right support is put in place, regardless of the gender of the child or young person. We recognise that currently 71% of children and young people with an EHC plan are male and 29% female.
The department is actively working with parents and experts to consider how best to resolve the current challenges in the system and will be setting out further steps in the Schools White Paper.
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