Parents of SEND pupils protest at council offices

SHOWS HEARTBREAK OF THOSE 'LEFT BEHIND'

- By ALISON STEPHENSON Local Democracy Reporter

MORE than 100 pairs of shoes belonging to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were laid outside Plymouth City Council 's offices at Ballard House this week, as part of a peaceful process highlighting failures in the education system.

'Every Pair Tells a Story' is a national awareness campaign by The SEND Sanctuary UK. The event in Plymouth on Monday involved families laying down pairs of shoes to represent those who had been left waiting for education or support.

The organisation said it stood for every child whose needs had been "ignored, misunderstood or dismissed" and for those "isolated in classrooms without the right support, pushed into unsuitable mainstream schools, or waiting months and years for education, health and care plans (EHCPs) that are delayed, denied or disregarded. Every pair tells a story of exhaustion, heartbreak and families forced to fight for the very basics that every child deserves: education, inclusion and respect."