❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding funding and identification of students with disabilities in WA schools. The response clarifies funding allocation, usage, and the role of school psychologists.
AnsweredQoN 5977Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Who represented Western Australia on the Expert Advisory Group formed in 2010 to develop a nationally consistent model to identify school students with a disability?
(2) I refer to the announcement by the Federal Minister for School Education, Hon Peter Garrett AM, in May 2011, of new budget funding of $200 million to provide extra support for students with disabilities in Australian schools, and I ask:
(a) how much of this $200 million was allocated to the Western Australian Government;
(b) over what time frame is this funding to the Western Australian Government to be allocated and spent;
(c) how will the Western Australian Government assess which students are eligible to access this extra funding; and
(d) how many students does the Western Australian Government expect to take advantage of this extra funding?
(3) Do school psychologists diagnose learning disabilities in Western Australian schools, and if yes:
(a) how many students were diagnosed with a learning disability in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011;
(b) what categories of learning disabilities were diagnosed in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011; and
(c) how many students were diagnosed in each category in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011?
(2) I refer to the announcement by the Federal Minister for School Education, Hon Peter Garrett AM, in May 2011, of new budget funding of $200 million to provide extra support for students with disabilities in Australian schools, and I ask:
(a) how much of this $200 million was allocated to the Western Australian Government;
(b) over what time frame is this funding to the Western Australian Government to be allocated and spent;
(c) how will the Western Australian Government assess which students are eligible to access this extra funding; and
(d) how many students does the Western Australian Government expect to take advantage of this extra funding?
(3) Do school psychologists diagnose learning disabilities in Western Australian schools, and if yes:
(a) how many students were diagnosed with a learning disability in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011;
(b) what categories of learning disabilities were diagnosed in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011; and
(c) how many students were diagnosed in each category in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and, as at the current date, 2011?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 September 2011
Responded by
Minister for Education
Response time
41 days
(1) The Manager Disabilities, Department of Education.
(2)(a) $20 086 364 of which $15 327 688 is for the Department of Education and $4 758 676 for the Catholic and independent school sectors.
(2)(b) November 2011 - June 2014.
(2)(c) The More Support for Students with Disabilities National Partnership funding is not based on student eligibility. The More Support for Students with Disabilities National Partnership offers 12 output options for the State to consider in the areas of:
· developing support centres;
· providing training and support for principals and school staff; and
· providing assistive technology.
(2)(d) The numbers of students that will benefit will be dependent on the strategies selected.
(3) No. School psychologists do not formally diagnose learning disabilities. For those students who have difficulty with learning, school psychologists work with their teachers to identify the student's learning needs and make teaching and learning adjustments which are outlined in Documented Plans.
The Department's position in not having a single definition of learning disability or learning difficulty reflects national and international trends in relation to defining students with disabilities according to functional needs.
There are no Departmental personnel who diagnose students with learning disabilities. A diagnosis can, however be obtained by external agencies, such as Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation or medical practitioners.
(3)(a)-(c) Not applicable.
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(2)(a) $20 086 364 of which $15 327 688 is for the Department of Education and $4 758 676 for the Catholic and independent school sectors.
(2)(b) November 2011 - June 2014.
(2)(c) The More Support for Students with Disabilities National Partnership funding is not based on student eligibility. The More Support for Students with Disabilities National Partnership offers 12 output options for the State to consider in the areas of:
· developing support centres;
· providing training and support for principals and school staff; and
· providing assistive technology.
(2)(d) The numbers of students that will benefit will be dependent on the strategies selected.
(3) No. School psychologists do not formally diagnose learning disabilities. For those students who have difficulty with learning, school psychologists work with their teachers to identify the student's learning needs and make teaching and learning adjustments which are outlined in Documented Plans.
The Department's position in not having a single definition of learning disability or learning difficulty reflects national and international trends in relation to defining students with disabilities according to functional needs.
There are no Departmental personnel who diagnose students with learning disabilities. A diagnosis can, however be obtained by external agencies, such as Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation or medical practitioners.
(3)(a)-(c) Not applicable.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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