Option B would
see all special schools and their satellites close. This option
would help all regular schools to include and educate all
children, regardless of their level of need.
If option C was adopted all special schools
would be used as resource centres only. This option would
mean the current skills and knowledge in special schools would
be used to support students in regular school settings or
in special units in regular schools.
Option D would see the current system continue
but under this option parents and caregivers could directly
enrol their children in a special school, without needing
prior assessment.
'Getting schools ready for children, and not children for
schools' was a very telling statement....
At the seminar there was universal condemnation over the facts
that there are no consistent expectations about what teachers
in training must learn about teaching students with special
education needs before they graduate, and there is no requirement
to keep learning about special education, despite the rapidly
changing nature of the field. There is also no requirement
that para-professionals have any special qualifications or
training and yet they work very closely with children and
have a big impact on their lives and learning.
Transition was another strong theme and there were suggestions
that school funding be used in post-school settings to help
students make the transition to tertiary study or employment.
Associate Minister of Education, Heather Roy, made it very
clear that “in these difficult economic times we must
consider how we can do better with what we have, rather than
expecting that there will be more money in the future to address
problems”
The Minister did emphasise the feedback created by the Review
expressed a desire for genuine choice about how students with
special education needs are supported. More flexibility was
requested on how funds are used and made available to support
the needs of students. There were also proposals regarding
how to increase accountability for outcomes so that parents
and caregivers and the Government have a better sense of what
students are achieving.
Where to send your submission, see page 5 of the review document:
To download the Discussion Document click
here (2.4Mb)
Online: www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/Consultation/ReviewOfSpecialEducation.aspx
Post: Review of Special Education consultation, Ministry of
Education, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140
Fax: 04 463 8254
Phone: 04 463 8000
Email: SE.review@minedu.govt.nz
If you need assistance to make your submission, you can contact
the review team at the Ministry of Education.
Ross Flood rflood@cpsociety.org.nz
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