ERO: Schools lacking in special needs practices

Heather Roy said the report showed there was still a lot to improve in special needs education. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Education Review Office (ERO) has recommended boosting the ability of schools to have more inclusive programmes for special needs pupils after finding many schools are lacking in them.

Following an evaluation of 229 primary and secondary schools, the ERO said about 20 per cent lacked adequate inclusive practices when it came to the development of special needs pupils.

It found about half of the schools reviewed showed mostly inclusive practices and another 30 per cent had "some" inclusive practices.

Those which had the most showed ethical standards and leadership that built a culture of an inclusive school, and had well-organised systems, effective teamwork and constructive relationships that identified and supported the inclusion of students with high needs.

"The key differences between these schools (and the others) was the level of ethical and professional leadership shown towards including students with high needs," the report said.

The schools found to be lacking were inclusive in some less important ways. "Overall, students with high needs were not included in significant aspects of each school's academic, extra-curricular and social activities".

The review said the situation raised questions as to how more schools could become better at including students with high needs, and suggested more could be done to use school-wide professional learning and development processes.

Associate Minister of Education Heather Roy said she agreed with a recommendation that professional learning and development in special needs be school-wide rather than solely undertaken for individual teachers.

"Special education has come a long way in the past 15 years, but the report shows there is still much to do," Mrs Roy said. "While half our schools are doing a great job of providing quality education to students with special needs, 20 per cent are not. I expect those schools to deal with these issues."

Better training for student teachers was needed and that had to come from boards of trustees and principals down through teaching staff and including support staff.

Mrs Roy said she the evaluation was timely as she was awaiting the findings from the Review of Special Education due to be presented to the Government next month.

The evaluation said about 3 per cent of school pupils had high needs.

- NZPA