UK Education Department Defends Gemma Collins Campaign to 2.3 Million Followers Amid SEND Backlash
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 20
UK Education Department Defends Gemma Collins Campaign to 2.3 Million Followers Amid SEND Backlash
4 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 20
Bridget Phillipson defended the Department for Education’s Gemma Collins videos after parents and campaigners attacked the social-media push promoting post-16 vocational routes.
2.3 million Instagram followers made Collins attractive to the DfE, which said she was unpaid and could help reach young people beyond the department’s 85,000 followers and Phillipson’s 19,000.
SEND campaigners said the timing was insulting because the videos appeared a day after a consultation on support changes closed, with one parent demanding an apology amid ongoing tribunal fights over school placements.
Marketing academic Gillian Brooks said Collins’ entertainment persona overshadowed the policy message, while a teacher said celebrity messengers can engage students but risk blurring the value of qualifications.
The row highlights a wider tension for the government as it tries to sell vocational reforms through influencers while facing anger over unmet special-needs provision.
While the DfE uses a celebrity to boost vocational courses, is it ignoring the deepening crisis in special needs education?
Why does the UK's benefit system penalize families whose children choose the vocational paths the government is promoting?