Recent data shows at the end of Term 3, 2022, 881 – or 11.1% of students with a disability – have been suspended this year.
This follows the 2021 school year, where 937 or 12.8% of students with disability were suspended at least once in Tasmanian Government Schools.
Access to education is a human right and all students deserve not just an education but a quality education so they can reach their potential.
Suspension of students should be a last resort. It is hard to support their social, emotional and cognitive development if they are not at school.
Labor is calling on the Rockliff Government to provide an update on the independent review into the implementation of the Reasonable Adjustments Funding Model for students with disability.
Schools make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, so they can participate on the same basis as their peers with the aim to support more successful engagement of students with disabilities.
Labor has consistently supported the model but has had concerns about the implementation, with a number of examples of students and schools not being supported for success since its introduction. This is reflected in the suspension data, which is an indicator of disengagement.
In 2021, the number of suspensions and suspended students (for all students) was the highest recorded under the Education Act.
The Education Department has set up an internal working group to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons behind the increase in suspensions and the identify schools that may require additional support.
Given the level of public interest in this issue the Tasmanian Government should provide any update on that work.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years
