Meeting Special Education Needs At School

Introduction

As a trustee you have a significant influence over the learning environment at your school. In your governance role you have a responsibility to ensure all of the appropriate policies and procedures are in place; and that they are objective, and are built around the fundamental principle of every student's right to learn alongside their peers.

All students must be able to work at their own pace, towards goals, and face challenges that help them develop their potential in all areas of learning.

As a trustee you also have a responsibility to work with parents, caregivers and families, whānau in the education of the students at your school. This principle of partnership should extend to all those involved with the student including specialists and other agencies.

It is also the role of the board to support the principal with ensuring those who are teaching the students are working in an environment of support, knowledge sharing and effective practice. You have the opportunity to support staff in their ongoing professional development to ensure that learning programmes for all students are effective.

Special Education Policy

The aim of the Government's special education policy is to improve learning opportunities for all students with special education needs - at their local school or wherever they attend school. Students with special education needs include learners with disabilities, learning difficulties, communication or behaviour difficulties, sensory or physical impairments. Special education is about providing these students with the support they need to access learning - whether it is therapy, transport, changes to the learning programme or environment, specific teaching strategies, and/or specialised equipment or materials.

The policy affirms the right of every student to learn in accordance with the principles and values of the National Education Guidelines, which include the National Education Goals, the Foundation Curriculum Policy Statements, the National Curriculum Statements and the National Administration Guidelines, as well as the Special Education Policy Guidelines. (See Special Education Policy Guidelines for more information about the policy and legislation relevant to special education.)

Affirming the right of every student to learn requires organisational structures to change to meet the needs of diverse groups of learners. This right embraces values, beliefs and attitudes about justice, equality, freedom and human dignity.

Under the Education Act 1989, all children from 5 years old are able to attend their local school full-time (when the school is open) until the end of the school year in which they turn 19. Students with a Section 9 Agreement or who are in the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS) can stay in school to the age of 21.

Families have a right to choose which school their child attends, unless your school has an enrolment scheme in place, approved by the Secretary for Education. (Note: that an enrolment scheme cannot be used to exclude children by virtue of their special education needs alone. If a school refuses to enrol a student on this basis, it is breaking the law.)

Section 8 of the Education Act 1989 specifies equal rights to primary and secondary education: "People who have special educational needs (whether because of disability or otherwise) have the same rights to enrol and receive education in state schools as people who do not."

Also applicable are the:

A number of national documents have also signalled change. The Special Education Policy Guidelines were developed by the National Advisory Committee on Special Education for the use of all those involved with learners with special education needs in the early childhood education and school sectors. They were designed to assist early childhood education services and schools with achieving the National Administration Guidelines, which form part of the National Education Guidelines.

Also, the New Zealand Disability Strategy: Making a World of Difference - Whakanui Oranga was developed by the Ministry of Health with extensive input from the disability sector. The Strategy has 15 objectives. Each year government departments will develop work plans which set out specific steps to implement the Strategy. This resource is aligned with the objective to "provide the best education for disabled people" as stated in the Strategy.