3.2 Education

During 2012-16, in any given three-month period disability advocates, on average, assisted 160 people with education issues.

Analysis

The data series is fluctuating with no pattern discernible (figure 9).

The recent review of the Program for Students with Disabilities identified limitations to the current program model and approach to supporting Victorian students with disability. The Victorian government has accepted 21 of the 25 review recommendations, but the remaining recommendations under consideration are the most crucial. These relate to redesigning the Program for Students with Disability (PSD) funding model to a strengths-based functional needs approach.

Case study: Accessing specialist education support

Easton* is vision impaired and attends school with a visiting teacher. When Easton was allocated a visiting teacher with no experience in Braille, his mother approached the school principal to raise concerns about the quality and level of support the visiting teacher could provide. After being informed the existing teacher was the “most appropriate for the job” Easton’s mother engaged an independent advocate.

The advocate phoned the Statewide Vision Resource Centre for advice regarding visiting teachers. The advocate then assisted Easton’s mother to develop a formal letter to the Department of Education and Training (DEECD at the time) outlining the importance of Braille for a child’s future employment outcomes and life skills. The advocate also provided Easton’s mother with relevant resources to use in the letter, such as the Disability Standards for Education and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s report Held back: the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian schools.

The Department of Education and Training successfully allocated Easton another visiting teacher who was more experienced in Braille and in working with children with a vision impairment.

* names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals