- Currently, the quality of education for students with disabilities is generally the same across Australia, being exceedingly poor, unprofessional and often accompanied by violence against students. See the attached 2016 Senate Inquiry Report on the education of students with disabilities. Education and Employment References Committee Report
Currently, many parents do not have a real choice about where to enrol their child as many mainstream schools dissuade them from enrolling, do not have the funding to support them and associate students with disabilities as a burden.
In the face of this attitude and lack of support, it is natural that many parents feel that segregated schools are the only option. However there are serious problems in special schools including:
- a tendency towards using violent practices against students to deal with behaviours of concern;
- low expectations of academic achievement;
- lack of personalised therapeutic assistance and a preference for group therapies, regardless of individual need;
- use of unqualified aides;
- closed culture.
However from an evidence-based perspective, the research indicates that an inclusive education (mainstream schooling) is superior socially and academically for students with disabilities when schools are resourced and teachers are trained . Therefore, the current inability/disinterest of mainstream schools to educate students with disabilities remains the only good reason to enrol your child in a special school. However while parents continue to enrol their children in segregated settings, mainstream schools continue to provide substandard services. Given special schools also provide substandard services, (but are compelled to accept enrolments of students with disabilities having IQs under 70), the status quo must change.
in line with its general failure to adopt best practice education methods, Australia is one of the few countries in the world still building special schools. An innovative example best practice in inclusion found is Italy, which has legislated against segregated education.
Parents would benefit from reading about models of inclusive education in different countries, for example the SWiFT model.
See the attached reports on inclusion:
Inclusion or segregation for children with an intellectual impairment
Inclusive Education Research and Practice
International Disability Alliance’s Position on Inclusion
Bullying Perpetration and Victimisation in Special Education
Parallels between Apartheid and Intellectual Disability Policies
Many valuable resources can be found at www.include.com.au/resources