The Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby (TDERL) today releases the results of its sixth
annual Parent Satisfaction Survey. In 2017 188 parents took part in our Parent Satisfaction Survey
and the results show that the parent satisfaction rate has hit a five-­year low of 34%.
In 2017 for the first time we are reporting the level of satisfaction of parents of students with disability
attending mainstream schools, this is an important milestone, as for the first time it gives us an insight
into the experiences of students with disability in Tasmanian mainstream schools stand alone.
22% of parents of students with disability in mainstream schools believed that their child received
adequate support. That equates to four out of five parents having the belief that the support
provided to their child in a mainstream classroom was inadequate.
TDERL also for the first time measured the number of children being excluded from school activities
along with the numbers of students with disability who have been subjected to bullying. The results
are a clear sign of a disability education system in crisis with 34% of parents of students with
disability in mainstream schools reporting that their child was excluded from a school activity
and 51% of parents of students with disability attending mainstream public schools reporting
that their child had been the subject of bullying in the past 12 months.
Discrimination in our schools continues to be seen with some families reporting that their child was
unable to attend excursions or assemblies, that parents/carers continue to be called to pick up their
child from school because the school cannot support them and that many children are being part time
enrolled because their school cannot adequately support them. In mainstream public schools the part
time enrolment rate was 31%.
These issues need to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Government. Parents/carers told
us:
“They refuse to make any changes to support my daughter. They just say they cannot provide
appropriate support and that she should be moved to ….. support school”
“Appropriate support would mean providing (our child) with what is needed for participating in school
in the same capacity as others. In our case a Teachers Aide, our school can only provide this part time
therefore his enrolment is part time.”
“Due to the current funding model my son has no help his IQ is 6 points too high to get any help he is
in grade 6 at a grade 4 learning level and not coping with It, having daily meltdowns with the teacher
telling him to go outside and play instead of learning is unacceptable”
“my son was unable to complete the last NAPLAN testing and support was not provided for him to do
so despite me contacting the school”
“at the public school he was duel enrolled until they made it clear they didn’t want him there in term 4
2016 before then he was asked to be kept home on certain days, he could only attend excursions if I
took him to the destination and went with him even though he had a full time aide. We were threatened
with his expulsion even with no prior reason “WHEN your child hurts someone I will exclude him from
my school” when this threat was made I asked IF that did happen what about behavioural programs,
school psych or the disability behavioural unit, to be told “oh no, we don’t offer anything like that”
“ …. My child has always been pushed under the rug and treated differently by her school. The boy
who was bullying her apparently “isn’t that kind of kid” numerous times he has kicked a football in my
daughter’s face. Hit her, pushed her to the ground leaving bruises and scratches turned to scabs and
nothing was done. We have just moved her after 3 years of constant torment she didn’t want to be
here anymore as she is a disappointment to everyone.” (note this is a grade 6 student)
Kristen Desmond, founder of the Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby said
“The number of unfunded students with disability in this survey continues to be high with more than 6
out of every 10 students surveyed receiving no additional funding to assist their school to provide
the reasonable adjustments they need to access an education on the same basis as other students.
It is time for the Government to act and change the inequitable IQ based disability education funding
model in Tasmania.”
“It is time for the elephant in the room to be dealt with, while Tasmania continues to fund students
with disability on an IQ basis and not based on need, it is clear things simply will not improve.”
“It is frustrating to see parent satisfaction levels in Tasmania going backwards, the Minister and the
Government talk about being committed to improving support for students with disability however
those words are hollow for many parents. It is time for action, talking and reiterating commitments
mean nothing if support in the classroom does not improve.”
“TDERL acknowledges that the Government has committed funds to implement the taskforce
recommendations from its Ministerial Taskforce into Improved Support for Students with Disability
report in 2015 with initiatives including: teacher incentives to obtain special education qualifications,
family partnership training for schools, provision of an inclusion advisory panel to oversee the
implementation of the taskforce recommendations. However, the recommendations in relation to
access to data for students with disability, having school’s disability ready and responsive and
changing the funding model have seen little progress in the last 2 years.”
“Families continue to fight everyday for their child’s fundamental right to access a quality education
or in some cases any education. It is about time that students with disability were properly resourced
and this Government needs to deliver on its promise to improve educational support for students with
disability. The reality is that the IQ based disability funding system in Tasmanian schools is
inequitable, inadequate and failing schools and students. Structural reform of the disability education
support system is needed now, the time for talk is over and the time for real action has arrived.” she
said.

Download Survey …

2017_Parents_Satisfaction_Survey_Results.pdf
Kristen Desmond