Schools will be required to report how many children with Down syndrome they educate as part of a government commitment to improve opportunities. Sir Liam Fox, Conservative MP, previously urged ministers to add it as a separate category to the There are currently 13 categories for SEND on the census, such as 鈥渕oderate鈥� or 鈥渟evere鈥� learning difficulties, but there isn鈥檛 one for Down syndrome specifically. From January 2025, schools will be able to select the condition from the list. Fox鈥檚 Down syndrome private members鈥� bill became law in 2022. He said it 鈥渕akes sense to have specific data with which to interpret the success of its implementation.鈥� He told MPs in March there was currently 鈥渘o Down syndrome specific school data available, including numbers, location or educational settings. David Johnston 鈥淒own syndrome is not a subset of other conditions or of learning disabilities, although on a Venn diagram there will be a huge overlap; it is a specific condition and we must regard it as such.鈥� The Department for Education announced the change today (Friday) as part of its commitment 鈥渢o improving the life outcomes and opportunities for people with Down syndrome, to identify good practice and shape long term services.鈥� Children鈥檚 minister David Johnston said the move will 鈥渟hape future services.鈥� But Carol Boys, chief executive of Down鈥檚 Syndrome Association, said while they welcome greater data collection, 鈥渋t is the long-term, systematic problems identified within the SEND system that will continue to present the most significant barriers to their success.鈥�