Time for the government to take action

Enabling Equity: Education Quarterly, Issue 10 2024

Results from the recent State of Our Schools survey found that only five percent of teachers believe their schools have sufficient resources to deliver educational programs for students.

It is ominous to think what percentage of teachers would make adjustments to the curriculum for the more than 200,000 students in our schools with learning disabilities.

With 86 percent of students in our regular classrooms having special learning needs, the importance of a fully funded public education system is clearer than ever.

As long as New South Wales’ public schools continue to be underfunded, so too will our most vulnerable students.

Due to the failure of Commonwealth, state and territory governments to fully fund the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), public schools are missing out on $600 million in funding for the education of students with disabilities each year.

The Commonwealth also fails to provide funding to a third of students with disabilities in public schools, even though it claims their needs can be met through differentiated instructional strategies.

The survey results also showed that student well-being is declining at an alarming rate, with more than two-thirds of teachers and principals reporting a decline or significant decline in the past 18 months.

Complex student needs translate directly into an intensified workload for teachers. Teachers of underfunded and in some cases underserved students with disabilities are struggling to continue and adapt planned educational programs while addressing the unfolding challenges and upholding their duty of care for each child.

However, dealing with this complexity often demands more from teachers. It is therefore not surprising that the research also shows that teachers work an average of 50 hours per week.

In order to support students with disabilities, governments urgently need to meet their financial obligations. This will improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities and reduce the workload for teachers.

The SRS funding gap is estimated at $1.9 billion this year alone. This funding could provide additional staff, qualified teachers, and valuable time for teachers who work with students with disabilities.

In December last year, the expert panel of the independent Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System made it clear to governments that fully funding state schools was “urgent and critical” and a precondition for improving outcomes, equality and student wellbeing.

It is time for all governments to commit to funding for students with disabilities.

Category: Special Education, Teachers
Keywords: Education Financing, Enabling Equity, EQ Issue 10, ForEveryChild, Schooling Resource Standard, Special Education