Labor promises $300 million for students with disabilities
Labor has promised to provide $300 million for students with disabilities as part of a new education plan.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek announced the funding during an address to the National Press Club today.
She told ABC News:
“If you go into schools, if you talk to parents of children with a disability, they will tell you the resources they have to teach their child is not enough.”
Students with disabilities doubled
Plibersek says the number of students with a disability has almost doubled, however, funding has only increased by 7 percent.
“There is something that doesn’t match up there,” she said.
Under current funding arrangements, the Government says it will spend $28.5 billion to support students with disabilities.
Additionally, the National Disability Insurance Scheme helps pay for aides and extra support.
New funding to meet demand
Plibersek says a future Labor government will ensure funding for students with disabilities meets the demand for services.
The proposed new funding will be delivered on a per-student basis.
Additionally, the plan includes bursaries of up to $40,000 to entice high achievers into teaching.
Furthermore, the funding will also help establish a National Principal’s Academy.
A survey by the Australian Education Union found four out of five public school principals don’t feel properly resourced to teach students with disabilities.
Training at the proposed academy will include leadership skills in addition to teaching.
As a result, it will be open to current and potential future principals.
Plibersek said:
“The biggest educational impact is from principals who can get what’s called collective teacher efficacy, it means all of the teachers in the school working together to teach every child every day.
“There is some fantastic training out there, but it is very haphazard and varies from state to state, from system to system.”
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