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The shoes that mark the UK's forgotten SEND children
Shoes being left outside council offices across the UK
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Thursday 13th November 2025 |
In a deeply moving protest, parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are highlighting the families "failed or forgotten" by the system.
The "Every Pair Tells a Story" campaign involves leaving children's shoes, each with a personal note, outside council offices across England.
These shoes symbolise the children unable to access the education and support they need.
Organized by Send Sanctuary UK, the protest is a heartfelt call for accountability and systemic reform.
Parents describe facing constant "barriers," a desperate lack of specialist school places, and a feeling of being ignored.
They warn of a "generation of children" being failed and parents left "beyond burnt out".
While one council leader acknowledged the "national crisis", the government has announced it is still delaying its reform of the SEND system until 2026.
Source: BBC News (UK)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93dwv7dlv9o
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