EDUCATION authorities will only be allowed to cite “unreasonable expenditure” as a ground for refusing a special needs child a mainstream place if the request was unreasonable in relation to its total education expenditure, not in terms of spending on other children.
Peter Peacock told the committee: “It is a very high hurdle.”
Mr Peacock is anxious to scotch any suggestion that authorities could be allowed to opt out of the “presumption” in the education Bill that special needs pupils should be educated in mainstream settings.
He expected this to happen only in “very exceptional circumstances” but has agreed to monitor the situation.
