An affiliate of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Education International (EI)
Australian Education Union - Federal Office
Ground Floor, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank, Victoria, 3006
Phone : +61 (0)3 9693 1800 Fax : +61 (0)3 9693 1805
30 July, 2010
Coalition Wrong on Students with Disabilities
The Australian Education Union said the Coalition was clearly blinded by ideology in
education and had chosen the wrong approach in its new policy on students with a
disability.
AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said that instead of a long-term strategy
to provide adequate teaching resources and programs for students with a disability
Mr Abbott would hand out individual vouchers to a tiny proportion of students.
“This is clearly a case of right problem, wrong approach. Funding for special
education remains woefully inadequate,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
“Productivity Commission data shows that in 2008 eight out of ten students with
disabilities and special needs attended public schools.
“What public schools need is a sustained increase in funding for additional teachers,
extra training, student support services and programs that will improve the education
of all students with a disability.
“Instead Tony Abbott has promised a per student voucher which would mean school
funding would be cut or increased each year depending on the number of students.
“The plan is also woefully inadequate given only 6,000 out of the almost 160,000
students with disabilities will benefit.
“Vouchers in education are a failed right wing experiment from America. The
Coalition has put ideology and the wishes of the private school lobby before the
needs of students.
Mr Gavrielatos said the policy was the latest disappointment from the Coalition
whose major commitment in education so far has been to cut $3 billion in spending
and cut the public school share of federal funding.
“Mr Abbott will make it harder for public schools to educate all children, including
those with a disability,” he said.
More information:
Angelo Gavrielatos
AEU Federal President
0488 012 045
Mark Robinson
Communications & Campaign Coordinator
0403 043 151
NEWS 
