Thousands of parents, disabled children and young people will take to thestreets today to demand the Government acts to end the "national crisis" in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding.
Campaign group SEND National Crisis will deliver a petition with more than12,000 signatures to Downing Street at midday on Thursday. This will be followed by a rally in Parliament Square.
Campaigners will also gather in 26 other locations including Peterborough, Stevenage, Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester in what they say is the first national action of its kind.
According to the National Education Union (NEU), special needs provision in England has lost out on £1.2 billion since 2015. It says funding granted to local authorities has failed to keep pace demand for SEND provision.The number of children and young people with an education health and care plan has increased by 33% since 2015.
