A new Auditor-General's report on support for students with disability in public schools reveals alarming gaps in planning and provision of vital support, leading to growing inequality in provision for students with disability.
The report notes that since 2018, the number of students with disability has grown from one-fifth to one-quarter. It finds that the Department "does not have a clear and accurate picture of demand compared to supply, or the time taken for targeted supports to be provided to students."
NSW Teachers Federation Senior Vice President Natasha Watt said the report showed a perfect storm of increasing student need, inadequate Commonwealth funding, and neglect of proper planning by the NSW Department of Education.
"This report confirms what teachers have been saying for years - we have a crisis in support for students with disability," Ms Watt said.
"The Auditor-General's findings are stark. The Department has failed to address unmet demand for support, despite being aware of these problems for almost two decades.
"It's astounding that 18 years after a 2006 audit recommended monitoring wait times for support, the Department still cannot tell how long students are waiting. This is a fundamental failure of planning.
"Without accurate data on demand, the Department cannot properly plan or resource disability support. This is leading directly to growing inequality in learning outcomes."
The Federation is calling for urgent action to address the issues raised in the report, including:
- Immediate data collection to provide a clear picture of demand for targeted support at the local level at any point in time
- Monitoring the time taken for targeted supports to be provided to eligible students after an application has been approved
- Better workforce planning to ensure specialist teachers are available in line with demand
- Increased Commonwealth funding to meet growing student need
"Our students with disability deserve so much better," Ms Watt said. "The NSW Government must act now to turn this situation around and provide the support these children urgently need."
