The Department of Education has released an Inclusive Education Statement for students with disability to further its commitment to improve learning and wellbeing for students with disability in every public school. This marks the next stage of the ongoing Disability Strategy work to further embed inclusive practice for students with disability in NSW public schools.

What we mean by inclusive education

Inclusive education means that all students, regardless of disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation or faith, can access and fully participate in learning, alongside their similar aged peers, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching strategies tailored to meet their individual needs.

The statement is a further commitment to strengthening inclusive education for all students with disability in mainstream schools and their support classes, and schools for specific purposes.

There are many excellent examples of inclusive education in NSW schools. This next step is about building on this and sharing effective practice across schools. The Disability Strategy team will hold a number of engagement sessions with school communities in term 3, 2020, to hear feedback on the support that is needed. This will inform the development of an Inclusive Education Policy and practice resources.

A package of materials and information about engagement sessions will be available for staff on this Inclusive Education intranet page. If you would like to find out how you can be involved in this work or share feedback please email disability.strategy@det.nsw.edu.au.

The case for change

The DoE wants to ensure that every child and young person in our school system is realising their full potential. This means that we need to address a range of factors that are affecting the education outcomes of children and young people with disability. From rising demand to increasingly complex student needs, these factors have contributed to a wide variation in experiences. Between 2013 and 2017:

• Places in schools for specific purposes – up 2%
• Places in support classes in mainstream schools – up 4%
• Students in mainstream classes accessing only integration funding support – up 5%

During the 2016 Parliamentary Inquiry, some families spoke of low expectations, social exclusion and inadequate education outcomes. Conversely, other families reported amazing experiences and noted that their children were flourishing, academically and socially, in mainstream and specialist settings alike. We want to replicate these positive experiences in all our schools.