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Press release from VIPs inc NZ

Committee findings on learning support welcomed “with caution” by parent-led advocacy group

VIPs inc NZ advocacy group have welcomed

with caution

the recommendations announced by the Education and Science Committee, as a result of their enquiry into the support of children in primary and secondary school with dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism spectrum disorder.

Whilst the committee’s recommendations given in the paper sound promising, VIPs inc are very concerned about how these changes will be achieved, given that the August release of the Minister’s cabinet paper on Inclusion and Learning Support indicated that there will be no further increase to the special education budget.

The paper indicates that money may be shifted from the support of older children into early intervention. VIPs question how the needs of children with disabilities and learning difficulties can possibly be met when funding levels are not keeping pace with the rise of diagnoses of these disorders.

Co-founder of VIPs, Glenis Bearsley, says “The vast majority of children with additional needs are currently not given fair and equitable opportunities to achieve their full potential at school. How will this improve if we divert money away from these children? Investment in learning support must increase if our government is to achieve a world class education system that embraces and values the neurodiversity that is growing in our schools.”

Mrs Bearsley believes that cost cutting now is no way to future proof our education system. “Do we want to pay for students to become fully equipped for the future or fall to the bottom of the heap? It's far cheaper to fund education well than pay for neglecting a section of the population’s education and incurring substantial social costs later on in adulthood.”

The findings of the enquiry identify wide-ranging and fundamental key responsibilities that VIPs agree need to be taken on board by the Ministry of Education, such as the Ministry needing to:

• Investigate the feasibility of a recognised qualification for Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs)

• Extend its promotion of inclusive education information and resources to support teachers, including those who may be teaching students with needs arising from dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism spectrum disorder

• Develop policy on learning support needs, to explicitly explain what best practice for inclusion is, and how monitoring and professional development will support this policy in all schools

• Work collaboratively with Dyslexia NZ, Dyspraxia NZ and Autism NZ and develop more formal links with national and international research experts in these areas

VIPs would like to see these proposals become legislative changes in the near future so that the needs of children with disabilities or learning disorders are valued, nurtured and invested in equitably alongside their neurotypical peers.

Furthermore, VIPs endorse the recommendations made in the paper by the minor parties (Greens, NZ First, Labour) which comprehensively sum up the urgent changes that need to be made to the way children with additional education needs are funded and catered for in New Zealand schools, such as:

• The MoE immediately creating a register of students identified with learning differences requiring extra support, so that need can be measured and thereby funded

• Increasing Ongoing Resourcing Scheme funding to 3 percent to meet the actual number of high needs students, and remove the complex application process

• Ensuring an uncapped Intensive Wraparound Services fund, or an alternative effective system of support, to meet students’ needs

• Providing for moderate needs by increasing the Special Education Grant to meet the actual needs of the identified number of students in each school, annually adjusted

The recommendations arising from the enquiry reflect the critical messages that VIPs are actively promoting to a wide range of people in the education sector, including the Minister of Education, the Disability Rights Commissioner, the Ministry of Education and the shadow Education and Disability Issues MPs.

The concerns raised in recent weeks by VIPs include a serious lack of teacher training in special educational needs, as well as on-going, compulsory professional developmental for schools in how to cater for these learning differences, and the alarming lack of funding for learning support for children with these disorders.

The select committee received 445 submissions from organisations and individuals including schools, community groups, charities, crown entities, children and adults with dyslexia, dyspraxia and/or ASD. Hearings were held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, where 194 oral submissions were presented.

*VIPs inc NZ is a parent-led Facebook group with over 1000 members. They advocate for a fairer and more inclusive education system in New Zealand.

ENDS.

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