Special Education Update
Special Education is a major priority for the Ministry and we are working with others to improve the system through the Special Education Update.
We’re looking at the whole education system including our responsibilities - from early childhood through to tertiary education.
Over recent years, we’ve made significant progress towards inclusivity in the education system. About 95% of children who need additional learning support are now in mainstream education.
However it is clear much more needs to be done. We’re building on improved inclusivity to ensure all learners receive any additional support they need so they achieve their best throughout their education.
Engagement findings
During 2015 we engaged widely with parents, whānau, educators, the disability sector and many others to help identify the right service and system improvements.
Over 3650 New Zealanders took the time to meet with us in 156 forums around New Zealand.
People told us we need to give better support to parents, whānau and teachers if all children are to progress and succeed.
The Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata, released the engagement findings in complete and summary reports together with next steps on 3 December 2015:
- Special Education Update summary of engagement findings (November 2015)
- Complete report engagement forums feedback Special Education Update (November 2015)
- Whakahou Umanga Matāuranga, He whakarāpopototanga ngā kitenga (Whiringa-ā-Rangi 2015)
- An Easy Read summary report about what people have said about how to make Special Education better (November 2015)
- Audio format Special Education Update summary of engagement findings (November 2015)
- NZ Sign Language format Special Education Update summary of engagement findings (November 2015)
Update Action Plan
The engagement findings have shaped the Ministry’s next steps. The Special Education Update action plan (November 2015) outlines a significant redesign of the education system for students with additional learning needs. This means:
- designing a recognisable, simple system of additional learning support
- redesigning and implementing a service delivery model that removes fragmentation, inflexibility and other barriers, and
- ensuring the best use of funds and looking at the return on investment of all parts of the system
We’re starting locally led, nationally supported Update Projects in communities around New Zealand . These will help us quickly start improving service delivery while redesigning the system.
We’ll capture what we learn from these projects and from mid 2016 we’ll roll out a new national service delivery model.
The Ministry’s vision
Our vision is to see all children and students succeed personally and achieve educational success . The Update will contribute to achieving this vision and will:
- improve support for teachers and parents as the primary providers of additional learning support
- deliver child centred, easy to access, prompt, early and uninterrupted additional learning support, for as long as it’s needed
- strengthen collaboration between specialists, educators, students, parents and whānau
- provide quality information about additional learning support to inform sound, timely decisions for individuals and at all levels of the system