CCS Disability Action welcomes new ERO report

CCS Disability Action welcomes new ERO report on inclusive education

CCS Disability Action welcomes the new Education Review Office (ERO) report, Inclusive Practices for Students with Special Needs in Schools. CCS Disability Action cautions, however, that the report cannot be compared to the 2010 report, Including Students with High Needs.

Chief Executive of CCS Disability Action, David Matthews, is clear that while the new report is very useful and a positive report in its own right, it has a different focus from the 2010 report.

“ERO has broadened the focus of the 2015 report to cover all students with special education needs, rather than just students with high needs. The sample size is also over 30 per cent smaller than the 2010 report. The bottom line is that that the 2010 and 2015 reports are both informative, but not strictly comparable which is acknowledged in the ERO report. The 2015 report is also just a sample of 152 schools out of a total of over 2500 schools.”

Chief Executive of CCS Disability Action, David Matthews, said the report highlights that many schools are developing innovative ways to include all students in the academic and social life of their school.

“There are some great success stories in this report and it clearly shows that with a bit of thought and creativity all students can be included. Furthermore, the key characteristics of inclusive schools, good leadership, well-organised systems and innovative practices, benefit all students. Schools that are good at including students with disabilities are great schools overall too.”

Mr. Matthews added that the report also shows the challenges facing schools and the wider education system.

“A lack of funding is a reoccurring issue and so is difficulty accessing support from the Ministry of Education. While more funding is not always the answer, all students should be getting the support they need to thrive at school. If this is not happening then; we need to look deeper at our funding and support systems.”

Mr. Matthews also said that a weakness of the report was its failure to emphasis that students with disabilities have a right to a good education at their local school.

“While it is great to celebrate the positive work of schools, at the end of the day, every student has a right to a good education at their local school. For disabled student this right is both a Civil Right from the Education Act and a Human Right from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Ministry of Education and ERO are still reluctant at times to enforce the right to education. Sometimes schools need to be challenged and too many schools are still unaware of the rights of students with disabilities.”

Mr. Matthews was hopefully that this report would be seen as another step on a long, but vital, journey for schools.

“It is crucial this report is not seen as mission accomplished, we still have a long way to go and inclusive education relies on continued commitment from schools. It only takes a change in leadership, or staff, for progress to be undone. We should continue to celebrate the schools that are meeting all their obligations by including all students and use their example as a challenge for the rest. I hope this report causes schools to reflect on their own journey towards providing a learning environment where all students thrive.”

ENDS

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