For many years now pupils with severe learning difficulties have had access to further education following on from full-time education in a special school.
To prepare for this students have attended a link course for one day a week.
The Further Education Funding Council is not prepared to fund these link courses claiming that the funds for such courses lie with the local education authorities. My own LEA is already putting more finance into the FEFC than was previously put into the colleges, and consequently is unable to find more money to continue the course. At the sharp end are: * the pupils who no longer receive the preparation which was formerly their entitlement; * the schools, no longer able to fund the course, are left with the job of explaining the situation to parents who are becoming increasingly angry.
Cutting services to special needs pupils is always a cost-effective way of balancing the books, but is it morally defensible?
RICHARD WALLAGE
Conifer Cottage
Lynn Road
Terrington St Clement
King’s Lynn
Norfolk
