{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/768474.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":768474,"attributes":{"action":"Change SEND acronym to ‘SPECIFIC Educational Needs' in government publications","background":"We want change. The word ‘Special’ has had negative connotations for the last 40 years, so why should we continue using this derogatory term for young adults and children in this day and age? Why not change this to ‘Specific’ a term that is individual and tailored to each student?","additional_details":"As someone who is undertaking a University degree in Education and as someone who has familial links to people with ‘Specific’ Educational needs, something needs to change. I find it difficult to become a teacher in an educational system in which we are still calling children and young adults ‘Special’ for requiring Specific educational needs. This petition asks you to consider those children. In addition, why change an already established name. SEND but change the S from ‘SPECIAL’ to SPECIFIC","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":52,"closing_date":"2026-11-27","created_at":"2026-04-27T18:19:25.677Z","updated_at":"2026-05-31T18:54:40.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-05-27T12:21:40.266Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-04-28T13:31:00.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"OLIVIA RAE CLARKE WILSON GARRETT","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"DfE","name":"Department for Education","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"United Kingdom","code":"GB","signature_count":52}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"Bath","ons_code":"E14001080","mp":"Wera Hobhouse MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley","ons_code":"E14001094","mp":"Tahir Ali MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Birmingham Northfield","ons_code":"E14001097","mp":"Laurence Turner MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Bridlington and The Wolds","ons_code":"E14001127","mp":"Charlie Dewhirst MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Bromsgrove","ons_code":"E14001138","mp":"Bradley Thomas MP","signature_count":9},{"name":"Burton and Uttoxeter","ons_code":"E14001143","mp":"Jacob Collier MP","signature_count":4},{"name":"Crawley","ons_code":"E14001184","mp":"Peter Lamb MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Derby South","ons_code":"E14001194","mp":"Baggy Shanker MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Derbyshire Dales","ons_code":"E14001195","mp":"John Whitby MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Droitwich and Evesham","ons_code":"E14001203","mp":"Nigel Huddleston MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Earley and Woodley","ons_code":"E14001210","mp":"Yuan Yang MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Hove and Portslade","ons_code":"E14001296","mp":"Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ipswich","ons_code":"E14001302","mp":"Jack Abbott MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Kettering","ons_code":"E14001311","mp":"Rosie Wrighting MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Leeds East","ons_code":"E14001320","mp":"Richard Burgon MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Leeds South","ons_code":"E14001323","mp":"Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Meriden and Solihull East","ons_code":"E14001358","mp":"Saqib Bhatti MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North Devon","ons_code":"E14001387","mp":"Ian Roome MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North East Somerset and Hanham","ons_code":"E14001394","mp":"Dan Norris MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Norwich South","ons_code":"E14001409","mp":"Clive Lewis MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Redditch","ons_code":"E14001441","mp":"Chris Bloore MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Rochester and Strood","ons_code":"E14001447","mp":"Lauren Edwards MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Salisbury","ons_code":"E14001460","mp":"Rt Hon John Glen MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Shrewsbury","ons_code":"E14001473","mp":"Julia Buckley MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Stourbridge","ons_code":"E14001524","mp":"Cat Eccles MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Stratford-on-Avon","ons_code":"E14001526","mp":"Manuela Perteghella MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Sutton and Cheam","ons_code":"E14001534","mp":"Luke Taylor MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Torbay","ons_code":"E14001551","mp":"Steve Darling MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Wells and Mendip Hills","ons_code":"E14001572","mp":"Tessa Munt MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Wyre Forest","ons_code":"E14001601","mp":"Mark Garnier MP","signature_count":5},{"name":"Cardiff West","ons_code":"W07000092","mp":"Mr Alex Barros-Curtis MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"Yorkshire and The Humber","ons_code":"D","signature_count":4},{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":3},{"name":"West Midlands","ons_code":"F","signature_count":28},{"name":"East of England","ons_code":"G","signature_count":3},{"name":"London","ons_code":"H","signature_count":1},{"name":"South East","ons_code":"J","signature_count":4},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":8},{"name":"Wales","ons_code":"L","signature_count":1}],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}