Funding reprieve for class therapy

Special needs children who were going to lose essential therapy funding have been granted a reprieve as the Government has a change of heart.

Education Minister Anne Tolley announced yesterday the Government would continue to fund the additional occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists in the 23 special needs schools that have had them since 1999.

This year's Budget removed that $2.5 million of additional therapy funding and instead set up a $51 million pool to allow more than 1000 students to qualify for the special education grant known as Orrs (Ongoing Reviewable Resourcing Scheme).

Mrs Tolley reasoned this would promote equity across schools as only some received the additional therapy funding.

But parents of the children who depended on the funding argued that losing it would have devastating effects on their development.

The Herald ran several stories on the impact of the cuts on schools such as Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy, Wilson School and Mt Roskill Primary School's Endeavour Centre.

Yesterday Mrs Tolley said she had decided to keep the funding after talks with schools and principal groups around New Zealand. "We consider this a small cost relative to the very high value that is clearly placed on the additional therapy services," she said.

Jill Gilberd, manager of the Endeavour Centre, said the centre was "thrilled" with the Government's acknowledgment of the level of therapy and funding high-needs children required.

But she was concerned about the future of students who were moving on to intermediate school, or who were currently at preschool, because the reinstated $2.5 million will only cover students who receive it this year.

Rachel Hutchison, whose 9-year-old son James has Cohen syndrome and is at the Endeavour Centre, said the announcement was a "reprieve" but did not address all her concerns: James would lose the funding as soon as he reached intermediate and her 4-year-old son Nicholas, who has even more serious needs than James, would not receive the funding next year.

"We just want them to have the opportunity to reach their potential and if this funding issue is not resolved we know they will never reach that potential. And as a parent thathurts."