Source : Perth Now news
A petition demanding a state government reverse millions in cuts to disability support in schools has attracted more than 25,000 signatures, as the education union slams the “reprehensible” three-fold cut.
Victorian government schools were on Tuesday evening informed the taxpayer-funded Disability Inclusion program would be slashed by 2.5 per cent, and support for 7000 students halted for two years.
Students with disability who attend mainstream schools, which typically receives the most taxpayer support, will each receive $3400 less per year for measures such as classroom support and curricular adjustments.
The Disability Inclusion program, which makes up part of the overall $1.9 billion disability funding model for schools, supports students with complex learning and wellbeing needs.
The changes, which the union and principals claim they were not consulted on, will apply from Term 1 next year.
“This all adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars being cut from students with disability in our public schools,” Australian Education Union Victorian Branch President Justin Mullally said.
“It’s completely unacceptable, it’s reprehensible and the premier needs to step in.”
The proportion of disability support for public schools has risen to an unsustainable amount according to the government, with almost one in three government school students now receiving some form of assistance.
“Individual supports like the Disability Inclusion program are targeted at kids with the most acute needs, and it needs to be focused and sustainable so it’s there into the future,” Victorian Education Minister Gabrielle Williams said.
Ms Williams vowed no child who needs individual support at school would be left behind.
“I want to assure them (families) that if their child is currently accessing individual support and no longer meets the threshold, a transition plan will take place over two years,” she said.
“We will make sure student needs continue to be met through the ecosystem of other supports available.”
Overall disability funding in schools is growing and “on track” to reach $2.2 billion by 2029, according to the government.
However, Mr Mullaly said the purported financial increase doesn’t take into account a rise in the number of students with disability in the system.
“What they’re doing is cutting their cloth to the inadequate amount of money they’ve allocated in their budget,” he said.
“They needed to do better, they needed to allocate an adequate amount of money to meet the needs of all children who would be eligible for funding.”
The announcement has come as an unexpected blow to principals who were finalising their 2027 budgets, Mr Mullaly noted.
“They’re not anticipating cuts to their budgets, they’re anticipating increases,” he said.
A petition launched by the union demanding an immediate reversal to the cuts surpassed 25,000 signatures in less than 48 hours, as pressure mounts on the state’s Premier Ben Carroll to act before the government enters caretaker mode on Tuesday evening.
“(It) isn’t just teachers, education support staff, and school leaders signing, this is parents and the broader community getting on board.”
“We’ve never seen anything like it.”
