Teachers & special needs students struggling with inadequate support

Read the Sydney Morning Herlad article: ‘Teachers overwhelmed by special needs’, 21 July 2010, page 3.

Dr Kaye who was a member of the Committee said: "Large classes and inadequate teachers' aides times mean that many children with special needs do not receive the intensive help they require to meaningfully engage with education.

"All students, parents and teachers suffer because the Keneally government has failed to keep up with the rise in the number of children with disabilities.

"Students with disabilities and other special needs only thrive when they get the intensive teacher time to address their individual requirements. The Keneally government's constraints on funding have denied many children those opportunities and placed unacceptable stress on teachers and parents.

"Learning opportunities are lost because there is not enough teacher time and support to address special needs. Children are suffering because of Treasury's tight rein on disability education spending.

"The Keneally government is about to make this a lot worse by taking away support classes for children with delayed language skills and by forcing specialist teachers to deal with all types of disabilities.

"Class sizes are too big and children with multiple disabilities are in many cases funded only for the special need that attracts the least support.

"The conventional wisdom is that the increase in the number of children with disabilities and special needs is the result of lower infant mortality rates and more sensitive diagnosis of autism and mental health issues.

"There is also growing evidence that environmental and occupational exposure to a range of chemicals during foetal development might also be a major contributory factor.

"Whatever the causes, the NSW government has failed to respond, leaving many children with special needs without adequate support, " Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455