THE final report from the Inquiry into Students with a Disability or special needs in NSW Schools holds in it the very futures of the young people it set out to protect.
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Released earlier this month, it includes 39 recommendations in a bid to provide a better standard of care to the state’s most vulnerable students and it also identified the cracks in our system that should not have been there in the first place.
These recommendations include, but aren’t limited to, a 1 to 500 ratio of school counsellors to children, establishing teams of allied health professionals in regional centres with a focus on students with special needs and more support state wide.
The state government’s response to the findings is due early next year.
The inquiry is one of many steps in instigating a state-wide reform of the way children with a disability or special needs are taken care of in our schools but it also highlights the issue of the shortage of support for our teachers and carers.
The inquiry committee did not shy away from the truth, stating that the level of allegations of disabled children in NSW schools and the number of reportable incidents was "unacceptable."
There were more than 400 submissions up for consideration across the state of brave parents, carers, teachers and related organisations speaking out about their experiences within the education system.
Among them was Uralla mother Rachael Sowden who detailed difficulties finding adequate care and supervision for her son while at school.
Dr Sowden also said she was not surprised by the amount of submissions and hoped the inquiry along with a federal government inquiry into rural and remote education could help provide some assistance to the disparities country students, especially those with a disability, face.
In response to the final report, it was positive to see the Department of Education and Communities take the submissions, the findings and the recommendations under consideration.
Could this inquiry be the catalyst for change? It is through the continued cooperation between the Department, the government and parents and carers that we can really make a difference in the lives of these young people who need ongoing support and care.
Let’s hope the government responds accordingly.
