New research paints a troubling picture for life in Australian schools for some students with disability. The study shows high rates of exclusion, segregation and bullying.
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00:00 Yeah, look, this research was done by Children and Young People with Disability Australia.
00:05 That's the peak sort of advocacy for youth with disability here in this country.
00:10 And they joined forces with researchers from two universities in Melbourne and New South
00:14 Wales to do three surveys that really did look at the kind of experiences that students
00:20 are having right from early childhood through to higher education.
00:24 I guess one of the sort of surveys that really did have the most disturbing sort of statistics
00:30 was that 65% of respondents said they'd experienced bullying.
00:35 And the academics said that the bullying was experienced both face to face and also online.
00:41 And it was perpetrated often by not only students, but school staff.
00:46 Some of the other troubling figures were things like 27% of students said they felt that they
00:52 had been adequately supported at school, leaving a whole lot of other students who obviously
00:57 don't feel that they are getting the support they need to be educated.
01:00 And one of the others was that 70% of respondents said that they were excluded from events or
01:06 activities.
01:07 So we're talking there things like PE classes and even school excursions.
01:11 What have advocates had to say about how to tackle this problem?
01:14 Yeah, look, in this report, Children and Young People with Disability Australia has talked
01:18 about wanting much more investment to provide training and support for teachers working
01:23 in inclusive education.
01:24 But also they're asking for an independent oversight body, which they think will ensure
01:30 that educational institutions are really meeting their statutory and legal obligations for
01:36 students.
01:37 What's been the response, if any, from the federal government?
01:39 Yeah, we have heard from the federal education minister, Jason Clare.
01:43 And he says that, look, every student in Australia should feel supported and safe at school.
01:48 But he has said that an independent body has already been established and is looking at
01:52 some of these ways to improve the system for all students.
01:56 And that involves looking at things like a multitude of areas, including outcomes for
02:02 students, including their health and well-being.
02:04 And he says that it'll help people in the system who are falling behind really catch
02:09 up and people with disability are included in that as well.
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