Legislation can be controversial, often hotly contested, resulting in frequent revisions of national policies. After the publication of the Green Paper Every Child Matters in 2003, and the Children Act 2004 that followed it, LEAs (Local education authorities) began transforming into local authorities and reflecting their new role in integrating, planning and commissioning all services for young people in their area. In 2002 a new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES 2001) came into effect in England, UK. This Code of Practice replaced the 1994 version and advised on details of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) which came into force on the same day. The Education Act does not apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. The Educational framework for supporting children and young people with additional needs in Scotland changed in 2005 when the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force.
Grants are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for higher education students and additional grants for students with disabilities. These additional grants do not have to be paid back and help with the purchase of equipment and software etc. Students do not all receive the same funding. It depends on the support required –eg for equipment / helper allowance / general allowance / extra travel costs. Funding is available to full and part time students in undergrad and post grad students and includes distance learning – such as with the OU. The length of the course must be at least one year for full time and at least one year for part time and doesn’t take more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full-time course (can include an Open University or other distance-learning course. Applicants must be able to provide proof and not be eligible for an NHS bursary. Post grad students do not qualify if they are already receiving a bursary eg from the research council. This is a useful OU factsheet: http://www.open.ac.uk/disability/documents/dsa-factsheet.pdf
In Scotland, the disabled students’ allowances are determined by the Scottish Executive – not the Department of Education and Skills.
Filed under: H810 Week 4 | Tagged: DfES, disability allowance, funding, green paper, LEA, legislation, loan, SENDA, support
