This regulatory document establishes the legal framework and specific amendments governing the provision of education for pupils identified as handicapped within the British school system. The text is issued by the government of Great Britain to formalize changes to existing educational statutes. It outlines the administrative requirements for special schools and the criteria for pupil placement, serving as a primary source for understanding the evolution of inclusive education policy in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s.

Legal scholars and historians of education view this document as a foundational administrative text for tracking the legislative shift toward the 1981 Education Act. It is primarily utilized by researchers and policy analysts to examine the regulatory environment of the era.