"Needy pupils miss out" Rodney Times 25/02/10

The Rodney Times highlights the issues facing many students living in the Rodney District, north of Auckland and how they may be affected as a result of the Ministry of Education's Special Education Review. Read the full article here

"Who's Special in Special Education?", 22/08/09

COPYRIGHT - The Christchurch Press. 

The Government is looking into what it gets for the $450 million it spends on special needs education.  But it's also faced with growing demand as more 'special' children join the line to get an education.  PHILIP MATTHEWS investigates.   Download full article

New Line Up for 09

Anne Tolley is the new Minister of Education, Tertiary Education and the Education Review Office.

Associate Education Ministers are Pita Sharples (Mäori Party) and Heather Roy (ACT).

The only references in Nationals education policy to supporting the education of children with disabilities are:
increasing Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS) funding for pupils with the highest special education needs
expanding special education schools and encouraging satellite special education schools

The new government has also seen a swarth of briefings to the incoming ministers announced.

Click here to read the Ministry of Education briefing.

Click here to read the Ministry of Education report on its implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy
 

 National Party Policy causes alarm

The Inclusive Education Action Group (IEAG) is appalled that the National Party, if elected, will turn back the clock for disabled students by promoting segregation in special schools.

Click here to open the press release in word.

Barriers to inclusive education highlighted 

IEAG co-convenor Ian Armstrong appeared in a full page feature article in the Herald on barriers to disabled children and young people participating in inclusive education.

Click here to read the story on Stuff  

Human Rights Complaint Lodged 

IHC has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against government policies and practices that prevent disabled students participating fully at their local schools.

Download the IEAG press release in support of this action in word.

Download the IHC press release in word.  

Click here to go to the IHC website for more information on the complaint

Education and Science Select Committee’s financial review of the Ministry of Education

The Education and Science Select Committee’s financial review of the Ministry of Education was released recently. The review expresses concern that children with disabilities are not having their needs met at school and that there are not enough places in some special schools or enough specialists available to support these children in mainstream schools.

The committee says it will continue to monitor how adequately these children’s needs are being met.  The committee also wants the Ministry to collect data on the educational achievements of students with special needs to improve its planning and delivery of services for them.

Click here to open a pdf of the financial review

Making the schooling system work for every child

However the same committee’s report on its inquiry into making the schooling system work for every child barely touches on children with special needs despite its focus on achievement, or rather underachievement.  How can this be excluded when it says in the middle of the report that if the schooling system is to work for every child, teachers must be able to constantly improve the achievement of their students, regardless of age or ability?
 
The Principals’ Federations and the PPTA point to resourcing being the key, which the two-year inquiry largely did not address. 

click here to go to the report on the Parliamentary website

Initial teacher education review

Nor did the Ministry of Education’s review of initial teacher education policy include disability education or inclusion.  The summary of submissions on its Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century discussion paper notes that special education / inclusion / disability advocacy groups want assurance that the content of initial teacher education programmes will be revised to ensure that all graduates have the knowledge and skills to teach all children regardless of their disabilities or learning needs.

Click here to download a copy of the review in word.

NZ 'failing kids who struggle to learn'

By LANE NICHOLS - The Dominion Post | Friday, 11 January 2008

A British  education expert has criticised New Zealand's education system for failing learning-impaired children.

Click here to read the story on the Stuff website 

Lack of Political Support for Disability Strategy Concerning

The Inclusive Education Action Group (IEAG) is alarmed at Allan Peachey’s recent comments and lack of awareness around special education provision in New Zealand.

Allan Peachey, Associate Spokesman for Education for the National Party, claims that we need more special schools but research shows that children with disabilities do better when they experience education in regular schools. 

Click here to download press release in word

IEAG Submission into Initial Teacher Education Policy Review

The ITE policy review was carried out in 2006/2007 and raised a number of issues about the selection of student teachers into initial teacher education programmes, the quality of programmes offered, the quality of graduates, and the support needed for new graduates as they progress towards full registration.

A consultation document entitled “Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century” was written from the findings of the policy review with 7 propositions for further work.

The IEAG welcomes the Initial Teacher Education Policy Review. We believe that the competencies and attitudes of teachers and their mentors are critical to the successful inclusion of disabled children in the New Zealand education system.

Click here for the IEAG submission in word.

Click here for a review of New Zealand practices in Initial Teacher Education - Morton, M. & Gordon, L. (2006). Inclusive education in Aotearoa: What are we doing in initial teacher education, professional learning and development? Final Report to NZCCS.

Inclusive Education Action Group Launch

The Inclusive Education Action Group (IEAG) was launched by the Minister for Disability Issues Ruth Dyson in parliament in August. IEAG aims to address the serious difficulties faced by disabled children, young people and adults who are denied rights to participate in education alongside their peers.

Around 100 people attended the launch. The event was co-hosted by Minister Dyson and Green Party spokesperson on education and disability issues Metiria Turei. Speakers were IEAG spokespeople Ian Armstrong and Kris Appleby, inclusive education expert and academic Roger Slee from McGill University in Canada, and IHC Director of Advocacy Trish Grant. A young people’s group finished off the event with a series of skits about what they feel about inclusive education.  

Minister Dyson and Metiria Turei watch the young people's group perform 

Ian Armstrong spoke at the launch about his experiences both as a father and long time campaigner for inclusive education. Download the text to his speech here. 

Parent and IEAG spokesperson Kris Appleby along with Dr Roger Slee and Dr Jude MacArthur were interviewed about inclusive education on the Nine to Noon show on Radio New Zealand National on the day of the launch. The audio for this has now been removed from the Radio New Zealand site but you can purchase a copy from Replay Radio

Roger Slee speaks at IEAG launch