The Education of Visually Impaired Children

Thank you for contacting me about the education of visually impaired children. 

I understand your concerns on this issue. It is important that we assess the educational outcomes of specialist special educational needs and disability (SEND) qualifications and I believe we should ensure these qualifications reflect the changing needs of the education system. 

As you may be aware, an extra £780 million of high needs funding is being provided in 2020-21 so that every pupil can access the education that is right for them. High needs funding will increase by a further £730m, or 10 per cent, in 2021-22. This builds on the £6.3 billion of high needs funding allocated in 2019-20 and will provide greater support for local authorities to help them work with young people with SEND, including children with vision impairment. 

Getting the right outcomes is not just a matter of funding, however. I therefore welcome that a review of the SEND system has been launched to see what further improvements are necessary to make sure every child gets the education that is right for them. This review will help to establish a sustainable and effective SEND system in the future. 

The Government is also supporting university students with impaired vision through the Disabled Students’ Allowance. This is available as a supplement to the support offered by higher education institutions and enables the provision of more specialist support to be offered, such as mobility trainers for blind or visually impaired students. 

Thank you for your invitation to the Guide Dogs virtual roundtable. In the past I have attended similar events but unfortunately, due to other parliamentary business, I was unable to attend on this occasion. 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.