Funding to support special classes increased

By Angelo Gavrielatos

A sustained campaign to achieve improvements in staffing levels for special education classes has led the Government to announce an additional $15.6 million will be allocated.

This will employ additional teachers aides over a 3-year period for special classes supporting students with a range of disabilities. In the absence of any other details, the Minister's media release states:

• "Over [the] next three years more than 660 additional teachers aide (special) will be employed to strengthen the support available to students attending special schools and special classes."
• "In 2005 each special class specifically catering for students with behaviour disorders, emotional disorders and austim will be allocated a teachers aide (special) on the basis of no class needing to exceed seven enrolments."
• "In 2006 all classes supporting students with mild intellectual disabilities will be allocated a teachers aide (special)."
• "Further, each special class for students with moderate intellectual disabilities, physical and hearing impairments in regular schools will also get a teachers aide (special). These classes will not need to exceed an enrolment of 10, 8 and 9 respectively."
• "By 2007 every special class in both special and regular schools will have a teachers aide (special)."

This announcement is long overdue recognition by the Government of its responsibility to provide safer teaching and learning environments.

Of great concern, however, is that the announcement is accompanied by an increase in class sizes for some students with special needs. The Government's decision to fund part of this initiative by reducing the total number of special education classes and therefore teachers is opposed.

Federation has sought an urgent meeting with the Government and the Department in an attempt to clarify a range of matters about which the announcement is silent.

Federation will be seeking an assurance that:

• the capacity to conduct a functional assessment of special needs students for the purpose of reclassification of students will remain;
• high support needs funding will continue to be available for students in need of additional support;
• special schools will attract a secondary staffing supplementation.

Federation will also be seeking clarification on the exact timeframe for the implementation of this announcement for all special classes in special schools and regular schools.

The union will also be asserting that special schools/units and/or classes which have received additional staffing through either the Comino Trial or other means retain that staffing.

Any attempt to strip away additional staffing will be resisted. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a risk assessment to be conducted in any workplace where change to resources could have a detrimental impact on the health and safety of staff and students.

Federation has long campaigned for increased resources to ensure that students with special needs can be provided with the greatest possible education opportunities in a safe learning environment. The campaigning will continue. The education of students with disabilities is one of the great strengths of the public education system.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

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August 2004 contents