Kelly admits sending son to private special-needs school

Former Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has placed the Government under acute pressure over the closure of special needs schools after admitting she was paying £15,000 a year to privately educate her own son who suffers from learning difficulties.

Ms Kelly spoke yesterday of her personal dilemma in sending her son to a £15,000-a-year private school for pupils with special needs. It is believed he suffers from dyslexia.

Downing Street and Cabinet colleagues rallied round Ms Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, defending her against criticism from leftwing Labour MPs who claimed she was "betraying" the party's principles.

But Ms Kelly's controversial move sparked calls from MPs for more places for children with special needs whose parents cannot afford the private sector fees. Some parents criticised a drive to integrate special needs children saying it had led to a reduction in special places.

"I appreciate that some will disagree with my decision," Ms Kelly said in a statement. "I understand why, but we all face difficult choices as parents and I, like any mother, want to do the right thing for my son - that has been my sole motivation."

The Tory leader, David Cameron also defended her against a charge of "hypocrisy", although Labour MPs privately said his support made them feel more uncomfortable about the Communities Secretary.

Mr Cameron said: "I don't think Ruth Kelly has been hypocritical at all. I think parents have a right to choose education for their children, as parents. "

Ms Kelly said she had taken the child out of the state sector after receiving "professional advice" that he needed specialist support "as soon as possible".

She said: "Acting on professional advice, which the local authority accepts - I am placing my son in a school that will be able to meet his particular needs." She added that he would be attending the school "for a couple of years" at her own expense.

But Tower Hamlets council challenged her decision, saying it was "confident that our schools are well-resourced and provide high quality education for all learners, including those with special needs".

Barry Sheerman, Labour chairman of the Commons Select Committee on Education, conceded : "The state system at its best should be able to provide for every kind of special education need - but at the moment in some parts of the country that's not true."

Mike Collins, head of education for the National Autistic Association, said: "We would definitely support an overhaul of the way teachers are trained so they can more adequately deal with children who have special needs in the classroom."

Education Secretary Alan Johnson said local authorities were responsible for closures of special needs schools and claimed more closed under the Tories. Officials said 12,000 children are taught in private schools at the expense of the taxpayer.

Guidelines were issued recently telling councils not to close special needs schools unless they were confident they could provide better schooling elsewhere.

Closure controversy

By Richard Garner

Ruth Kelly was at the centre of controversy over special needs when she was Education Secretary. The Tories highlighted the growing number of special schools closed in a drive for "inclusion" - meeting the needs of all children within mainstream schools. Figures produced by the Tories showed that 117 special schools had closed since 1997. David Cameron, Tory leader, whose son has cerebral palsy, called for a moratorium on closures - claiming many had been as a result of the inclusion drive advocated by Labour's first Education Secretary David Blunkett. Ms Kelly's decision to pull her son out of the state sector because she believed schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, could not cope with his dyslexia, has caused controversy as millions have been ploughed into schools to help them cope with special needs. Tower Hamlets insists its schools are "well resourced" and can cope.