Big funds for school health
Victoria has announced a $1.6 billion package for extra disability support in public schools.
The new Disability Inclusion package is designed to increase the number of students getting extra support to 55,000, the State Government says.
It includes a pilot project to help identify and respond to the needs of students with disability.
There will also be $102.8 million to support education staff and hire more than 100 extra staff to help deliver programs in schools.
Victoria's Education Minister, James Merlino, says the new spending “will completely overhaul the way we fund and support students with a disability”.
“It will not only double the number of students with complex and high needs receiving personalised and individual support … it’s a tiered funding model, which will mean every school will receive additional funding and support,” he said.
Students with autism, dyslexia or complex behaviours sometimes cannot access targeted support in the classroom, but Mr Merlino says students who have missed out will get the help they need.
“The way the system works at the moment is that there is a very strict and cold medical criteria for a student to receive additional support, you’re either in or you’re out,” he said.
“Every classroom has children who need additional support and that's what this funding model is about.”