According to the Federal Government’s Institute of Health and Welfare, an estimated 380,000 (10%) of all Australian students aged 5-18 have a disability, yet research shows that greater in-school supports are needed to accommodate the needs of these students.
In May, the Australian Education Union’s (AEU) State of our Schools survey 2024 found that nine out of ten public school principals say their school is under-resourced to support students with a disability.
In its response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of people with a Disability in July, the Federal Government accepted just 13 of the 117 recommendations that were under its primary or shared responsibility, with 117 being accepted only ‘in principle’.
To public school leaders, who enrol the vast majority of students with a disability, this news was disheartening to say the least.
Matthew Johnson, president of the Australian Special Education Principals Association, said the challenge for systems and schools remains the ability to attract staff, especially those who have experience or training in special education.
“The lack of specialised teacher education programs, especially high-quality professional learning to support teachers in working with students with disability or complex needs is impacting the quality and sustainability of programs in specialist schools and in support classes and programs in mainstream settings,” Johnson told The Educator.
Dr David Roy is a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s School of Education and works closely with disability groups in NSW.
He says while public schools now place support and inclusion of children with a disability in policy, many of the ‘wicked problems’ still exist.
“Some schools still deny enrolment either actively or trough deliberate inaction, children are still be targeted so as to exclude or be removed from mainstream or denied a meaningful curriculum, but this is happening less,” Dr Roy told The Educator.
“Core issues are being avoided by systems and governments such as increasing mainstream inclusion or the continued increase in schools for specific purpose. There is still a false conflation between disability and behaviour, and fundamentally schools have not adapted to divergent needs.”
However, Dr Roy said Australia does offer a more inclusive and responsive education provision to children with a disability than many other countries.
“Specialist training is increasing, the majority of teachers are empathetic and understanding, as a positive attitudinal change grows, despite some retrograde leaders. The pace may be slow, but meaningful difference is happening,” he said.
“What now needs to happen is that politicians match the rhetoric with action, provide incentives, funding and actually respond to the concerns of the disability community as highlighted in the recent Royal Commission, rather than abrogate their responsibility.”