7 September 2005
The Victorian government is not helping students with disabilities attend mainstream schools, despite plans to do so, an education expert said.
Professor Luanna Meyer said the education department was letting students down as long as integration opportunities for students with disabilities continued to be limited.
Delivering the annual Monash University Dinah and Henry Krongold Lecture on Monday, she said: "The lives of children with disabilities are being restricted because they are separated from their communities for most of their school years''.
Professor Meyer said the numbers of students with disabilities in special schools remained high, despite recommendations four years ago to improve the quality of integration by enhancing professional support to mainstream schools.
"In 2001, 36 per cent of students with disabilities were in special schools, and that figure in had only dropped by two per cent to 34 per cent in 2004.
"The progress to date has been far too slow, and we can do better. Parents and communities generally have a right to expect more," she said.
In 2001 the New Zealand professor was invited to review the Victorian Education Department's special education policy. Her recommendations, called The Meyer Report, formed part of the government's existing policy.
"One of my key recommendations was to establish a network of integration specialist teachers to work across clusters of schools,'' Professor Meyer said.
"These professionals would provide expert advice and support to teachers, teacher aids and related professionals throughout Victoria. Such a network would guarantee the quality and consistency of special education services in mainstream schools.
"Rather than redirecting finance to support that proposed network, the government has chosen to put its resources into providing professional development for existing teachers and teacher aids.
"If there is no specialist knowledge in a particular school, it is very difficult to meet the needs of children with particular disabilities,'' she said. "That explains the pattern of continuing to refer children to special schools year after year."
For further information contact Ms Robyn Anns, Monash University, on +61 3 9905 9317 or 0417 568 781.
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