Posted September 29, 2018
Ms Desmond said the school needed to be held to account for inappropriate decisions, but the buck stopped with Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff. “Parents are fighting day after day, year after year, to get appropriate adjustments,” she said. “It’s about time that schools that aren’t providing appropriate adjustments are held to account. and it’s about time the Department was held to account to ensure experiences like this don’t happen.”
Posted August 14, 2018
If we could stop the high levels of bullying that adolescents with a disability experience, we could make a big difference to their health, learning and wellbeing. So school anti-bullying programs need to acknowledge the link between having a disability, being bullied and poorer mental health.
Posted August 6, 2018
For decades, desperate families wanting to secure disability funding from their state school have had to go through the confronting process of describing exactly what their children can’t do. But that’s set to change, with the Andrews government trialling a new assessment that focuses on the strengths of students with disability, instead of their weaknesses.
Posted July 10, 2018
How many reports must be published for the Department of Education to deem students with disabilities worthy of the same care, consideration and human rights as other Victorian students, asks Julie Phillips, the manager of the Disability Discrimination Legal Service.
Posted July 2, 2018
The Teachers’ Toolkit aims to help teachers feel more confident to engage and support their students with little or no speech, by equipping them with the latest information and practical step-by-step recommendations. Designed for busy teachers, the toolkit is intuitive with easy-to-navigate topics and interactive checklists that summarise key points.
Posted July 2, 2018
About one in six Victorian parents struggles to enrol their disabled children in mainstream government schools, according to a new report that reveals widespread discrimination in the state’s education system.
Posted July 2, 2018
Children with disabilities are being turned away from or discouraged from enrolling in mainstream Victorian schools — and once enrolled, many are being socially isolated or not receiving the support they need to learn, according to a new report.
Posted June 6, 2018
More than 56 per cent of students with disabilities had experienced bullying over a 12-month period, a national survey has found. The survey, by Children and Young People with Disability Australia, revealed students experienced a range of bullying including being punched, kicked, headbutted, cyberbullied, spat on and having food or rocks thrown at them. Some … Continued
Posted February 6, 2018
Nearly a million Victorian children returned to school last week. But thousands did not. Exclusion is a cruel yet quietly accepted component of our education system.
Posted December 1, 2017
A major challenge in assessment is how to obtain evidence about learning from students with disability. We cannot know how these students are faring with their learning if assessments or tests are structured in ways that create barriers for them. We would not expect a student who is blind, for example, to complete a paper and pencil test.
Posted November 8, 2017
A national survey of students with disability has revealed more than 70 per cent of students have experienced instances where their enrolment and inclusive participation in mainstream schools has been discouraged.
Posted November 8, 2017
Having someone else write your English exam is typically frowned upon. But for Stella Barton, it’s essential. The Shelford Girls Grammar student has cerebral palsy, a disability that affects her speech and mobility.
Posted October 16, 2017
The body representing Victorian independent schools has rubbished claims it is inflating student disability data to receive more funding.
Posted October 16, 2017
A mother whose autistic son was strapped to a restraining chair in class was asked if she would prefer a “more aesthetically pleasing chair” when she confronted the school about the seven-year-old’s treatment.
Posted October 16, 2017
Many (but not all) wealthy private schools schools were initially identified as overfunded, and were set to lose government funding to bring them into line with the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). This makes it surprising that schools earmarked to lose funding now appear set to increase their funding through top-ups for disadvantage.
