“Interacting with the education system can be a frustrating and confusing experience for parents of a child with a disability or special needs, as they attempt to ensure that their child gets adequate support to reach their full potential”, said Ms Parker.
“We will take a close look at what can be learned from the provision of education to students with a disability or special needs in Australia and overseas. In particular, we will look at whether a student’s funding allocation should be based on their functioning capacity rather than their disability”, she added.
A number of other important issues are also covered by the terms of reference, including:
• Level and adequacy of current special education places
• Adequacy of support services for children with a disability in mainstream school classes
• Provision of a suitable curriculum for intellectually disabled and conduct disordered students
• Access to professional support services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and school counsellors
• Adequacy of pre-service and post-service teacher training
Media Release can be found here.
More information and an online submission form can be found here.
Submissions close 19 February 2010.