Schools For All program off to a strong start


Released 25/07/2017

Minister for Education, Shane Rattenbury, has welcomed progress on the implementation of the Schools for All program and looks forward to further progress across the three years of program implementation.

“We are only a few months into the implementation of the Schools for All program and there has already been solid progress,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“The ACT Government has agreed, or agreed in principle, to all 50 recommendations out of the Schools for All Children and Young People – Report of the Expert Panel on Students with Complex Needs and Challenging Behaviour (the Expert Panel Report). 

“While the Expert Panel Report recognised that the ACT has good school systems and achieves strong results on many measures, there are challenges for schools in supporting students with complex needs and challenging behaviours, a challenge faced by all schools across Australia.

“We are committed to approaching the issues posed by students with complex needs and challenging behaviours not as a problem, but an opportunity to further exemplify the inclusive vision of all ACT schools.”

The Schools for All program is designed not only to address the 50 recommendations, but creates a three year program to continue implementing a student-centred vision that prioritises each student’s individual needs. The first year of work will focus on implementing the 50 recommendations with the next 2 years focused on ensuring that change has been effective.

The ACT Government has allocated $7 million to implement a range of initiatives, including infrastructure grants to support the development of sensory spaces in schools, targeted professional learning, training and support for staff.

“It is important to remember that the Schools for All program is to be implemented over three years, to ensure it is done correctly and with the appropriate policies, systems and supports in place.

Progress has been made in a number of key areas including:

  • The establishment of an independent Oversight Group, which includes Emeritus Professor Tony Shaddock to oversee the implementation of the recommendations;
  • Updates to the Safe and Supportive Schools Policy to reflect the management of complex needs and challenging behavior. The guide includes information on what is a restrictive practice, when it should not be used, when it can be used and the requirement for putting in place plans to reduce the need for restrictive practices;
  • Four additional Disability Education Partners have been added to the Network Student Engagement Teams (one per region) to increase capacity to assess and respond to students with learning difficulties;
  • Initial recruitment is underway to put in place more allied health professionals to support and strengthen multidisciplinary teams in schools;
  • Development of a new online referral form for the Network School Engagement Team that not only streamlines previous paper referral systems, but also  enables the collection of valuable data that will inform future practice;
  • A new quick guide to the Education, Participation and Enrolment Policy went online last week, providing information to schools on enrolment, engagement and school attendance in one easy document;
  • The ACT continues to have the highest uptake of MindMatters and KidsMatters in Australia, with 73 schools implementing the KidsMatter Primary program and 28 schools implementing the MindMatters program, supported by grants. Supported by the team at the Principals Australia Institute, the rate of uptake of this program is expected to increase in 2016.

“The Government is also actively working to determine the best model to provide targeted support for students with complex needs and challenging behaviour. Our key focus is on practical implementation to make the best use of current resources and ensure any additional resources are used in the most effective way.

“There will be ongoing  opportunities for consultation with students, parents and carers to keep the community informed of what is happening and what will happen in the near future, including a number of public forums held each quarter during the year.

“I am aware that there is still a lot of work to be done and I look forward to seeing progress continue so we can fulfil our goal of long term change and to truly lead the country in an inclusive and student-centred education system,” Mr Rattenbury concluded.

The Schools for All Children and Young People – Report of the Expert Panel on Students with Complex Needs and Challenging Behaviour (the Expert Panel Report), was released simultaneously with the Government Response to the Report  on 18 November 2015. The first report of the Oversight Committee to the Minister is due at the end of April 2016.

The new Safe and Supportive Schools Policy can be found here:  www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/bullying

- Statement ends -

Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases

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