Held back: The experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian schools.
Published by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Level 3, 204 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053. September 2012.
Copyright © State of Victoria 2012
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About the Commission
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body that has functions under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. Our functions include resolving disputes, providing education about human rights and equality of opportunity, undertaking projects and activities aimed at eliminating discrimination and promoting human rights, conducting research, and providing legal and policy advice. In addition, the Commission reports to the Attorney-General on the operation of the Charter and, at the request of public authorities, conducts compliance reviews.
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ISBN 978-0-9873730-0-7
Disclaimer
This information is intended as a guide only. It is not a substitute for legal advice on any of the issues raised in the report.
Foreword
In Victoria today more than 100,000 students in Victorian schools have a disability that may affect their learning ability. These students have a wide range of disabilities – they may be blind or deaf, have a physical disability that requires them to use a wheelchair or other aides, a learning disability that affects their ability to process verbal or written information, or a disability that affects their behaviour and the way they learn. The complexity of the modern school classroom, and the demands on today’s educators, is reflected in the diversity of needs of these students.
Each of these students has the right to the best possible education we as a society can provide. We have committed to providing all children with an education because we understand that it is an essential foundation to economic and social wellbeing later in life. We all expect that when we send our children to school they will be given the best opportunity to learn.
The Commission undertook this research project in response to concerns expressed to us by parents, advocates and community members that for students with disabilities accessing a good education and achieving good learning outcomes was a lottery rather than a certainty.
To better understand what was happening for these children we sought feedback through surveys, ‘have a say days’ ,case studies and submissions so we could give voice to those experiences – good and bad. More than 1,800 people participated in the project – small when you compare it with the number of students enrolled in Victorian schools – but a big enough number to demonstrate the interest and passion this topic can generate.
Parents and teachers told us of the commitment they bring to ensuring students gain access to the best possible educational opportunities. But they also told us of the attitudes that held children back. These include, inflexible policies which they feel deny students the opportunity to achieve, persistent experiences of bullying, the difference a committed school principal can make, and the lack of appropriate training for teachers, both at university and after qualifying, to make sure they could provide the best possible support to students.
Parents told us of the personal strain and distress and of constant negotiation to make sure their child was not left behind. Some gave up jobs, moved suburbs, or spent many hours a day travelling to make sure their child was at a school they felt could offer the best learning environment.
Some parents used the project to voice concerns they felt too afraid to raise with their school. Many told us they were reluctant to make formal complaints because for the few that did it was often a difficult path leading to legal arguments that didn’t reflect their lived experience – there was no understanding and acknowledgement that their child did not have the educational outcomes they were capable of achieving.
The Commission worked with government and non-government education providers in preparing this report. We particularly acknowledge and thank the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) for its assistance with the preparation of this report. We particularly thank Mark Tainsh, Director, Disabilities and Additional Needs, who has spent many hours on meetings, emails and interviews providing information to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the report.
The Commission wants to thank the many parents, educators, students and advocates who took time to complete surveys, provide us with submissions and attend meetings to inform this research. We appreciate the report itself does not resolve the many issues they have raised with us but we hope they appreciate our genuine effort to provide a vehicle for their voices to be recognised and heard.
Thanks also to the many Commission staff, led by Michelle Burrell, Manager Strategic Projects and Policy Unit, who have worked on the report for many months.
The Commission welcomes the initiatives announced by DEECD to enhance the learning experience of students with disabilities in Victorian government schools and its commitment to providing high quality learning and wellbeing outcomes for their students.
A recent report found that almost half of people with a disability in Australia live in or near poverty, with Australia ranking last in 27 developed countries for economic outcomes for people with a disability. Australians with a disability are half as likely to be employed as people without a disability. While many factors contribute to this terrible report card we know that education is absolutely essential to addressing this gap.
With funding models for students and schools under scrutiny and up for negotiation, the Commission hopes this report can contribute specifically to a better understanding of the issues and barriers facing students with disability.
As a community, we need to make sure that the need for investment in education for students with disabilities is understood and realised. Not just because they are entitled to the best possible education but also because we all benefit - at a individual, community and national level. If these young people are held back, we all are.
Karen Toohey
Acting Commissioner
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Contents
Foreword 3
Executive summary 9
Challenges at the system level- government schools 9
Challenges at the school level 10
Building more inclusive schools 12
Recommendations 14
Part 1: Background 21
Chapter 1: About the research 22
Aim of the project 22
The Commission’s interest in the issue 22
How the project came about 23
Context for the research 24
Policy context 25
Legal context 28
Chapter 2: Methodology 30
Project components 30
Limitations of the research 32
Terminology 33
Part 2: Experiences 35
Chapter 3: Enrolment 36
Standards for enrolment 36
Main findings 37
Experiences of enrolment 38
Opportunities for improvement 46
Recommendations 47
Chapter 4: Participation 48
Standards for participation 48
Main findings 49
Experiences of participation 49
Making reasonable adjustments 50
Effectiveness of adjustments 54
Barriers to participation 55
Consequences of not making adjustments 64
Opportunities for improvement 65
Recommendations 67
Chapter 5: Curriculum development, accreditation and delivery 68
Standards for curriculum development, accreditation and delivery 68
Main findings 69
Building on existing curriculum resources to have more impact 71
Adjustments for assessments and exams 73
Are adjustments made when requested? 78
Impacts of not making proper adjustments to curriculum or assessment 79
Opportunities for improvement 79
Recommendations 80
Chapter 6: Student support services 82
Standards for student support services 82
Main findings 83
Experiences of parents, students and educators 83
Current provision of student support services in government schools 88
Unmet need for assistive technologies 91
Better utilisation of available resources 93
Opportunities for improvement 94
Recommendations 95
Chapter 7: Elimination of harassment and victimisation 96
Standards for the elimination of harassment and victimisation 96
Main findings 97
Experiences of discrimination 97
Experiences of bullying 100
Current efforts to eliminate harassment and victimisation, including bullying 109
Opportunities for improvement 110
Recommendations 111
Part 3: Specific issues of concern 112
Chapter 8: Student support groups and individual learning plans 113
Main findings 113
General experiences of consultation 113
Student support groups 114
Quality of consultation 118
Individual learning plans 120
Opportunities for improvement 125
Recommendations 126
Chapter 9: School attendance patterns of students with disabilities 128
Main findings 128
Patterns of attendance 128
Home-schooling and distance education 128
Dual enrolment 129
Part-time attendance 130
Suspension of students with disabilities 134
Expulsion 136
Impacts of suspension and expulsion 141
Opportunities for improvement 141
Recommendations 142
Chapter 10: Use of restraint and seclusion 144
Main findings 144
Experiences of parents and students 145
Human rights considerations regarding the use of restraint and seclusion 146
Frequency of physical restraint and seclusion in Victorian schools 148
Educators’ descriptions 152
Parents’ reports of seclusion 153
How are allegations of restraint and seclusion managed? 154
Training of educators 155
Current regulation of restrictive practices in Victorian schools 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Chapter 11: Transport 156
Main findings 156
Transport policy and provision for students with disabilities 156
Student experiences of accessing transport 156
Parent perspectives 156
Eligibility for specialist school buses – zoning rules 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Chapter 12: Transition points in education 156
Main findings 156
Continuity in meeting students needs 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Chapter 13: Complaints 156
Main findings 156
The DEECD complaints policy 156
Complaints handling in Catholic and Independent schools 156
Complaints handling in government schools 156
Experiences of the complaints system 156
Reasons for not making a complaint 156
Relationships with the school after making a complaint 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Part 4: Removing barriers in the system – building capacity 156
Chapter 14: Funding and resources 156
Main findings 156
Funding for students with disabilities in Victorian government schools 156
The Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) 156
Parent experiences of the PSD 156
Problems identified by parents and educators 156
Necessary adjustments are less likely to be made if the student does not attract PSD funding 156
Even if eligible, funding may still be inadequate 156
Accountability for PSD funds 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Chapter 15: Building workforce capacity 156
Main findings 156
Workforce gaps in educating students with disabilities 156
Educator experiences 156
Training and support for integration aides 156
Equipping educators before they enter the classroom 156
Ongoing professional development for educators 156
Recent initiatives in professional development and support 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Chapter 16: Leadership and accountability 156
Chapter 16: Leadership and accountability 156
Main findings 156
Leadership in schools 156
Getting it right – it does happen, it just needs to happen more often 156
Leadership by the department 156
Opportunities for improvement 156
Recommendations 156
Part 5: Response from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 156
Part 6: The Victorian Education System 156
Schools in Victoria 156
Laws regulating Victorian schools 156
Structure of the education system 156
State education policy and students with disabilities 156
Federal education policy 156
Legal obligations 156
Appendixes 156
Appendix 1: Participant profile 156
Educators 156
Parents and carers 156
Students 156
Appendix 2: ‘Have a Say’ day locations 156
Appendix 3: Key informant interviews 156
Appendix 4: Submissions 156
Glossary 156
List of figures used in report 156
Executive summary
A good education matters. Through their experiences at school, children and young people learn about themselves and the world in which they live, as well as developing the skills and competencies to prepare for further study and work. A good education provides the foundation that supports children and young people to be active participants in their communities, find fulfilling work and live a decent life.
When students with disabilities are unable to enjoy a good education, their future is seriously compromised. A poor education is one of the key reasons why the economic and social participation rate of Australians with disabilities is so low.
People with disabilities are less likely to have completed Year 12 and are less likely to hold a post-school qualification.[1] They are also more likely to be unemployed and have significantly less income than others in the community.[2] Indeed, 45 per cent of Australians with disabilities live in, or near, poverty.
The Commission’s research has sought to understand and report on the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian schools, across government, Catholic and Independent schools and in both mainstream and specialist settings.
We collected quantitative and qualitative data through a detailed survey, ‘have a say’ day consultations and a statewide phone-in, involving 1,827 educators, students with disabilities and their parents. We also received 11 submissions from organisations supporting people with disabilities.
From our research, it was clear that many individual schools and many individual teachers are working successfully to build inclusive school communities, improving access to education for students with disabilities and supporting them to achieve positive educational outcomes. However, this good work is not consistent across Victoria.
The quality of education that a student with disability receives should not be determined by the particular school that he or she attends or the principal. Nor should it rely on the individual teacher in the classroom. The Victorian school system should be structured and funded to support access to education for students of all abilities, including students with a disability that affects their ability to participate and learn. If we do not cater for needs of these students, we are denying them a place in society.
Challenges at the system level- government schools
One of the key issues raised by parents and educators in the Commission’s study is that the criteria for targeted funding from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) under the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) means that not all students with disabilities protected under anti-discrimination legislation are eligible for this additional support.