Students with disabilities attending a non-government school do not get a fair go. They do not receive the same funding to support their learning as they would if they were in a government school.
During the 2010 election campaign we highlighted this gross injustice as our top policy priority. The result was that for the first time, equity for students with disabilities in non-government schools received serious attention. It would be a travesty if this issue was lost amid the difficulties of minority government.
The Coalition
The Liberal/National Coalition took to the election a policy that would for the first time start to redress the imbalance in funding for students with disabilities in non-government schools.
Its Disability Card would have cemented the principle that students with disabilities are entitled to have the same support wherever they go to school, by creating a nexus between the student, their level of need and their entitlement to a certain level of funding to meet that need. The policy is based on portability of funding, and has been welcomed by CSA and many other groups.
In the 2010 campaign, the Coalition promised up to $ 20,000 per annum for students with disabilities in the most severe categories, to be paid directly to the school of their choice. The commitment was to phase it in for students in other categories over an eight year period, or earlier if the federal budget allowed.
Christopher Pyne also committed to achieving common definitions for disability nationally through MCEEDYA.
The ALP
Labor tied its policy response to the outcomes of the review of Funding, currently underway. It did not make a commitment to the principle of equitable funding. It did however agree that common definitions for disability are needed across states, and it is already pursuing this issue through MCEEDYA.
A summary of the partys' responses to our campaign as at the election is available for download:
Students with Disabilities
Ongoing campaign
Our online campaign for real change continues. Thank you to those who have already contributed their comments and stories.
Our challenge is to keep up the awareness of this issue until we achieve equitable funding, along the lines of our policy framework for funding students with disabilities.
How you can help
- Please pray that in this election, policy makers will clearly hear the message about the needs for change, and that they will respond with positive, genuine solutions.
- Support our Open Letter to Members and Senators. Send it to your own member and forward their response to us. To find your electorate go here.
Other resources.
Opposition Disabilities Education Card Policy
Opposition Disabilities Education Card Release
A Fair Go for Students With Disabilities (CSA policy, 2009)
