Official figures show a 11.6% rise in children with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) in England, reaching a record 538,500. Overall, 21% of pupils now have special educational needs, prompting calls for urgent government action amid funding and staffing challenges.
Campaigners and disability groups are urging the UK government to halt plans to cut funding for specialist assistive software under the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). They argue that free, mass-market tools cannot replace the functionality of specialist software, risking wider attainment gaps and increased student withdrawals.
The UK government has announced that universities in England failing to protect free speech could face fines of up to £500,000 or 2% of their income under a new complaints system run by the Office for Students (OfS). The scheme, launching from the new academic year, will allow staff, external speakers and non-student members to raise concerns about providers free of charge. From April 2027, new registration conditions will enable the regulator to fine universities for breaches of their duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which came into force in August 2023.
