National President, New Zealand Principals’ Federation
When we plan the year ahead, the priorities for the NZPF non-ORS funding for special education. executive are largely determined by the feedback and concerns There were also concerns expressed around the RTLB service that are raised at our annual Moot. Moot is an interesting word model, with just under half (46.3 per cent) of those who with a number of meanings – including of course a moot point responded unhappy with their current RTLB support and advice. – which is something worthy of debate. The anecdotal feedback covered all ends of the spectrum though, The moot we hold is the noun, and describes a gathering to from endorsing at one end to concern and frustration at the other. discuss things, and that’s what we do. From those discussions What does such variable feedback really mean? Perhaps the about education come our priorities for the year ahead. service itself is variable. Perhaps there is a disconnect between There were a number of what schools want and expect, concerns raised of course, but Ministry policy is promoting a and what the practitioners are one hardy annual is special offering. Regardless of where education, and this year was strong drive towards inclusion for the trouble lies, there is a no exception. The executive as many children with special perception in the minds of a responded by designing a large group of principals that special education sur vey needs as possible, and I do not believe they are not getting the service and when it was pushed out they deserve and need. to schools, 410 principals that principals are viewing the future There are other signs within responded, with over 9000 as it is planned. this landscape that are worthy separate pieces of feedback. of our attention, and I am Designing a good survey is concerned that these are not always a nightmare, and I have to say that one thing we will try being picked up and noted by principals. to avoid in the future is harvesting too many questions with Consider the decision to close existing residential special qualitative feedback! With some advice from Cathy Wylie we schools. Waimakoia and McKenzie have closed already, and did two things – we sub-contracted the survey’s analysis to a Salisbury would have closed as well, had it not been for its researcher who identified the common themes as they emerged. judicial review. Halswell has seen its roll decline from 90 before We then based our analysis and decision making on what they the earthquakes in Canterbury to just 20 today, and while closure told us. is not being openly proposed, the staff are concerned. The most obvious consensus lay around funding levels. There The argument is that one place in a residential setting can fund were consistent messages, all suggesting that funding was up to three children within the Intensive Wraparound Service, insufficient, for both ORS children, and non-ORS. Indeed, 95 back in a mainstream school. per cent of those who responded claimed dissatisfaction around Then, there are the non-residential special schools, which some
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parents choose for their child when a mainstream school is not seen as the best option. My sources tell me that they have long wait lists, and yet two schools who are awaiting news of their post-earthquake rebuilds have been told that their total capacity once replaced, will be reduced. So – what does this tell us of the direction of special education policy and its implications for schools? Ministry policy is promoting a strong drive towards inclusion for as many children with special needs as possible, and I do not believe that principals are viewing the future as it is planned. By the time people are finally awake to current policy direction, options for the placement of children with special needs will be significantly reduced, and to quote Greg Healy, the past principal from McKenzie Residential School, “those children will be coming to a school near you”. This article does NOT attempt to argue for or against inclusion. Any principal in the country would speak up in favour of including in their school the majority of children with these special challenges. The question that it begs however, is by whom should the best educational setting for any child be determined? The parent? The school? The disability sector? The Ministry?
My money sits with the parent, informed by the other groups, and this requires that there must be a range of choices available – choices which I fear are being lost. NZPF has written to Peter Hughes, the Secretary for Education and we are hopeful that a national discussion will be convened early next year where we respectfully and professionally can plan the next steps in partnership with all the stakeholders. We need to be very clear about what we mean by the term inclusion. The Ministry has this in its brochure, What an inclusive school looks like: (Children with special education needs) . . . are participating and engaged in class and out of class, with their peers, all of the time, doing what their peers do. All of the time? Really? Many such children simply cannot cope in such settings all of the time. If this is truly the philosophy that is driving Ministry policy, a conversation is well overdue. Peter Hughes has indicated his support for the proposed discussion, and I truly hope that as a result we can start to talk directly and honestly around what a teacher with a class of thirty children can realistically achieve. The conversation will need to explore with the wider sector, schools’ obligations under law and international convention, as well as consider the aspirations and hopes of parents. Our goal is to work more collaboratively to review and strengthen special education policies and to create a framework where everyone is looking and heading in the same direction, for the benefit of every student.
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