In today’s government reshuffle, following the departure of Claire Coutinho MP, David Johnston OBE MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education.
Commenting on the appointment, Clare Howard OBE, Chief Executive of Natspec said:
“We congratulate David Johnston MP on his appointment as Children’s Minister but it is an unenviable achievement to become the fifth children’s minister in less than two years and the seventh to oversee the Government’s landmark SEND reforms.
Previous ministerial changes have led to delays in addressing serious issues, and those providing education and training to young people with SEND desperately need stability, effective leadership and prompt action to address these long-standing issues.
The challenges facing the SEND system are not uniform. As the representative body for specialist colleges we see the challenges our members face day in day out, but chief among them is the disparity in funding and support for education for those of school age compared to those aged 16-25. This lack of focus on those in the older age group is having a significant impact on the provision they are receiving.
We hope that the Minister’s previous experience working on the Education Select Committee will offer him some insight into the problems facing the sector. I welcome the chance to meet with the new Minister to talk to him about the needs and issues of our members in more detail.”
