More Victorian students with a disability are receiving the support they need to learn, contribute and participate in their schools and classrooms, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins today announced Disability Inclusion Transtition Funding will be provided to support schools to engage with the Disability Inclusion Profile process, while visiting Miners Rest Primary School.
Miner's Rest Primary School has been recently redeveloped in a $21.6 million rebuild that delivered 10 new classroms, arts and music rooms, food tech facilities and landscaped open play areas. The school also has a new gymnasium and synthetic grass oval, which is available for the Miners Rest community to enjoy after school hours.
Already, there have been more than 1,000 requests to create Disability Inclusion Profiles for students. Under the process, trained facilitators helps schools and families to work together to create the profiles to assist students with disability.
The transition funding will give schools greater budget certainty to plan for and provide adjustments for students with disability.
Disability Inclusion will be rolled out progressively, reaching all Victorian government schools by 2025 - doubling the number of students receiving extra support in the classroom to 55,000.
All government schools across the Outer Easter Melbourne, Mallee and Central Highlands areas are now in Year 2 of the roll out, while schools in Year 1 include schools in the Barwon, Loddon Campaspe and Bayside Peninsula areas. Victoria's seven Supported Inclusion Schools are also implementing Disability Inclusion.
The Victorian Budget 2020/21 invested an unprecedented almost $1.6 billion to make sure Victorian students with disability are supported at school through the Disability Inclusion package.
All schools across the state are already benefitting from Disability Inclusion initiatives that will help build knowledge and skills in inclusive education across the school system, including the recently announced Diverse Learners Hub.
The hub is a centre of excellence, providing the best evidence-based advice, resources and support for the needs of diverse learners, such as students with autism and those with ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Disability Inclusion will transform funding and support for students with disability in Victorian government schools, to ensure every student at every ability can thrive at school and in life as we continue to build the Education State.
As stated by Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins
"This is the biggest change in disability support in our schools Victoria has ever seen, and it will make a difference in classrooms and to kids across the state."
"This transition funding will enable schools to plan with certainty so they can support more students with disability, ensuring they can get the great education they deserve."
"We're supporting more students with disability to get the great education they deserve."
