industry & reform
The Albanese government extended the current agreement by a year , with the new one due to begin in January 2025 .
Within the bilateral agreements are activities that support particular student cohorts . But the current setup is not working adequately for students with disability .
In January this year , a Productivity Commission review noted many of the bilateral agreements either did not include specific reform actions for students with disabilities , or did not include details of how this would happen . It also noted there is no NAPLAN data collected on students with disabilities – so it is very difficult to measure academic progress .
The commission suggested linking NDIS data to school reporting . While this would be welcome , it won ’ t capture students with disabilities who are not part of the NDIS . And it won ’ t capture the issues people face at the boundaries of the NDIS and education where there is debate over who should provide funding and support .
Unprecedented demand on the NDIS Meanwhile , the NDIS is not necessarily able to provide the support school students need .
The NDIS was originally designed to provide funding to individuals with significant and permanent disabilities , estimated to be 10 % of the 4.4 million disabled Australians . Today , more than 610,000 individuals receive support from the scheme – around 14 % of Australians with disability .
There has been a particular growth in terms of the number of children in the scheme . More than half of those in the NDIS are under 18 and 11 % of five- to seven-year-old boys are participants .
Some commentators have argued this is not sustainable , with the NDIS budget estimated to reach A $ 35 billion this year .
Bonyhady says he believes the increase in numbers may be due to a systemic issue . With limited supports outside the NDIS , parents are left with little choice but to try and secure a place on the scheme .
The NDIS was never intended to replace existing mainstream services such as education and health . But ambiguities about responsibilities for funding often lead to service gaps . Our research has consistently shown students with similar characteristics can receive inconsistent support , depending on :
• parents ’ and / or carers ’ understanding of nuances in the system
• the community support in the school the student attends
• the training of teachers and supports within that school , and
• school leadership decisions on allocation of disability support funding .
The importance of inclusive education We know students with disability are not being properly included at school . As our research also found , 54 % of those surveyed said they felt welcome , and only 27 % felt supported to learn . On top of this , 65 % of students reported experiencing bullying and 13 % preferred not to answer .
If mainstream schools are inclusive , this can give students with disabilities friendships , higher aspirations and a richer learning experience .
Issues such as inadequate teacher preparedness , heightened risk of bullying , and experiences of exclusion can have lifelong repercussions .
On the other hand , if mainstream schools are inclusive , this can give students with disabilities friendships , higher aspirations and a richer learning experience .
Inclusive education also benefits those without disability . A 2021 meta-analysis showed inclusion at all levels of education reduces discrimination , prejudice and hostility . Academically , results for all students in inclusive primary settings are better than , or equivalent to , non-inclusive settings .
So if we have well-funded , inclusive educational environments , we can not only enrich the academic and personal growth of students with and without a disability , but also alleviate the pressure on the NDIS .
What needs to happen now ? The next reform agreement needs to commit specific funding for the support of students with disability in their school , and the development and training of their educators .
We also need a commitment to report properly on students ’ progress . This means progress is measured also at the individual level ( involving individual learning plans ), rather than simply against a developmental continuum .
Well-funded inclusive education is a human right and is crucial in setting up all young Australians for their future . ■
Catherine Smith is a senior lecturer at The University of Melbourne . Helen Dickinson is Professor of Public Service Research at the University of New South Wales .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
educationreview . com . au | 17