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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1437 ..
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION
QUESTION NUMBER 209
Students with Disabilities - Planning
MS McRAE - asked the Minister for Education and Training on notice on 16 April 1996:
(1) How (a) is this planning done; and (b) are resources allocated each year.
(2) What contingency plans are there to cope with, for instance, 10 children with disabilities who have transferred into the ACT.
(3) Does the Department know how many children with disabilities are due to start school in 1997; if yes, how many; if no, why not.
MR STEFANIAK - the answer to Ms McRae's question is:
(1) (a) Planning for resource allocation currently occurs following in-school review panels where the progress of individual students is evaluated in a parent/school meeting. These meetings take place during term three and projections are made for resource allocation for the following year.
(l)(b) Funding for students with disabilities in the ACT is finite and resources are allocated in all special education settings, as in all regular schools, on student enrolments at February census. Supplementary support is submission based and schools can submit claims as a need arises but are encouraged to plan ahead and apply in term four for the following school year. A limited number of places have been available each year for participation on the Integration Program. Places on the Program have been allocated following a formal process involving application, observation and selection panel discussion.
(2) Resourcing children with disabilities depends very much on the nature of the disability and different mechanisms apply to determine levels of support. Generally, given the finite level of funding for students with disabilities, new demands on the programs offered would result in a reallocation of resources.
(3) There are currently approximately 60 students in early intervention programs who will be eligible for mainstream placements but exact numbers moving into special education programs in primary school will not be known until the parent/school meetings have been completed in term three.
The projected number of children with disabilities starting school in 1997 will be available in September. Actual enrolments will be confirmed at February census.
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