Sorry everyone: earlier we ran my story about one aspect of the creaking SEND system – noting the cost to councils of transport for SEND pupils by comparing it to road maintenance budgets. People whose view I trust on this said it felt oppositional/confrontational, so it's been re-written. 1/ - ThreadSky

peterwalker99.bsky.social • 13 hours ago

Sorry everyone: earlier we ran my story about one aspect of the creaking SEND system – noting the cost to councils of transport for SEND pupils by comparing it to road maintenance budgets. People whose view I trust on this said it felt oppositional/confrontational, so it's been re-written.

1/

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simulatedchollas.bsky.social•8 hours ago

gfy, Philipp Bouhler

robertgalbraith.bsky.social•9 hours ago

'Sorry everyone, I got caught out'

cycling1972.bsky.social•10 hours ago

Also, the text of the article continues to reference "some" councils, and still references potholes. It's really not a useful reference point, please delete altogether.

cycling1972.bsky.social•10 hours ago

Thank you Peter for the detailed and honest apology.

I do note that (in my browser at least) the https is still unaltered, please correct it too:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/09/english-councils-spending-twice-as-much-on-send-pupil-transport-as-fixing-roads

notharlock.bsky.social•10 hours ago

I doubt the URL's text is something their system would allow them to fix, usually it's just a permanent reference to the article and stays like that after edits to the headline. But worth a shout, if fixing it won't break links that others have already posted.

penguingalaxy.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Thank you, Peter.

bigbadbuckley.bsky.social•10 hours ago

Fair play mate. I for one salute your reflective practice. Sick of people doubling down. It's ok to hold your hands up.

merthyr1831.bsky.social•9 hours ago

you doubled down in the replies you slimy festering old wound. do one.

smithmichaelw.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Always good to know when to change and to explain why - something we could do with more of - the tougher part though is how we help people to understand what big numbers mean - why sometimes a million is a huge amount and also a rounding error on some bills.

peterwalker99.bsky.social•13 hours ago

It was, very obviously, not my intention - the comparison was purely intended as an easy comparison for people without knowledge of the system. But I understand the criticism of the framing and in retrospect it could be have done a lot more sensitively. So, again: apologies.

peterwalker99.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Highlighting the costs to councils of Send pupil transport was not to say, 'We need less of this'. It was intended as a telling vignette of a wider Send system that almost everyone involved in it agrees isn't really working for anyone, for a variety of reasons.

3/

peterwalker99.bsky.social•12 hours ago

It's worth pointing out something more specific on this, too: while no one yet has a way to allleviate the fast-rising costs to councils of Send pupil transport, it's not going to do anyone much good if a whole lot of councils go bust. And that's the way this is heading (for a variety of reasons).

peterwalker99.bsky.social•12 hours ago

I don't want this to put me off writing about Send provision, or – he says presumptuously - put you off from reading it. It's hard to overstate how big a crisis this is for parents/carers, kids & councils. The last education questions I watched in the Commons about 2/3 of questions were on SEND.

4/

peterwalker99.bsky.social•12 hours ago

I deleted the post promoting the original version of the story, and the slightly defensive initial response to critics. It was very much not my intention to enrage anyone on a Sunday, so sorry if you were.

/end

jasongood.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Glad you’ve changed it.

The big question is: why, unlike the general education bill or the NHS, are council tax payers at risk for social care and SEND?

Why isn’t it centrally funded according to demand through general taxation?

Council tax bills would be about a third of what they are now.

wgfvh.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Thanks Peter, I was one of those responding on here and appreciate you listening to others and taking decision you have. This is a difficult area, deeply emotive for many of us. As you say, takeaway isn't to research/write less on it, quite the opposite, so pleased that's your other reflection.

wiggler.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Here's a thread which explains the issue a little better. Why not give it a look?

https://bsky.app/profile/wiggler.bsky.social/post/3ljxjwbyzoc2o

rainblurredsky.bsky.social•9 hours ago

Nobody cares about your intention, we care about the effect. Worry less about the paltry costs that the disabled are afforded and worry more about your own callousness and those piano keys crowding your mouth. Thanks.

lilbeethoven92.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Twat

rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk•9 hours ago

Of course it is not good for half of councils to go bust. That can’t be allowed to happen. We also can’t allow reductive narratives that encourage the uninformed to blame disabled kids for the fact there are no suitable schools closer to them.

thebellow.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Thanks Peter, I actually read it as a way of comparing costs but I guess others might see it more like an 'either/or'.

nlbray.bsky.social•9 hours ago

And what did you think the point of comparing those costs was?

thebellow.bsky.social•9 hours ago

I thought it might help quantify the scale of SEND costs compared to something else. I'm not sure most people are aware of them.

frightfulhobgoblin.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Staggering you've kept your job tbh, this is the kind of thing that follows you in your career.

You'll forever be 'that journo who pitted disabled kids against potholes' to us.

frightfulhobgoblin.bsky.social•11 hours ago

Trust goes up the stairs and comes down in the elevator. You could have avoided all this by talking to *one* disabled person.

glynjamyn.bsky.social•10 hours ago

Yes!!

But talking with & listening to us disabled folk is harrrd for most Ableds, ‘cos we just stupid scroungers, innit… 🤷‍♂️

tofusatyr.bsky.social•9 hours ago

Ah fuck off, you hateful bam

paulcreedy.bsky.social•9 hours ago

Everything is creaking, but the rich get richer, maybe all your articles should reflect on that.

kiersturmer.bsky.social•35 minutes ago

when you've absolutely fucked it

lilbeethoven92.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Bellend

rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk•9 hours ago

Can you clarify - it read like you asked LAs specifically how much they spend on road maintenance and how much they spend on SEND transport. Is that what happened? And if so, why (aside from the public outrage over both issues) did you pick these two metrics?

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