“It is indefensible that students who have been formally assessed and deemed eligible for support classes are left without placement due to a lack of available positions,” Federation Vice President Amy Harland told Federation Council in September.
“If we had 20 kinder students turn up on Monday, we’d create a new class — so why isn’t it the same for support classes?” she asked, emphasising the right of every student to access education that meets their needs.
“This failure places an unfair burden on schools and staff, who are then expected to think outside the square and create makeshift solutions, often without the resources, training or structural support required.
“This is not innovation, it’s systemic neglect.”
“We must be clear about the importance of appropriate class compositions,” Amy added. “Students diagnosed with intellectual disabilities or autism have distinct learning profiles and support needs that differ significantly from those with emotional disturbance or behaviour disorders; placing these students together in the same support class under the term multi-categorical is not only pedagogically inappropriate, it is detrimental to the well-being and development of students.”
Amy explained how the Government’s failure to provide adequate support class placements is detrimental to the wellbeing and development of students.
“Not only are these students deprived of equitable access to education, but teachers in mainstream settings are left to manage complex needs… without the resources, training or structural support required,” she stressed.
“Our members deserve a system that backs their expertise, not leaves them to patch the gaps. Our students deserve a system where they are known, valued and cared for not just in words, but in actions.”
Amy highlighted the importance of members organising to address the support class placement shortages, pointing to the recent success of members at Wauchope Public School.
“They had the data and the access requests that warranted an additional support class, however, the Department didn’t want to establish one, so they worked with the Organiser. They were about to walk out when the Department caved and established another class,” Amy said.
“It’s actions like this we need… it’s what our students really need.”
Federation encourages members to work with their Federation Organiser to consider a program of political, community and industrial action in the case of resource denial for students with disability.
CPL special education conference on 3 November
Sign up here to attend the Rethinking Ability: Special Education Conference on Monday 3 November at NSW Teachers Federation House, Surry Hills. The conference will cover the current state of disability in the public education system and highlight Federation’s ongoing commitment and work to support students and teachers within special education, and those with a disability.
Attendees will have the opportunity to network with other teachers and participate in workshops covering topics such as differentiation (K–6 and 7–12), classroom management with diverse learners, meeting sensory needs, working with SLSOs for success, and neurodiversity in TAFE.