Streamlined process for high-needs students urged

Schools are scratching for resources to help students with high needs or learning difficulties, principals say.

Last week's Budget allocated an additional $51 million over four years to Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (Orrs) and $10.684 million over four years to support students with "high health needs".

However, the Auckland Primary Principals Association (APPA) says this is not enough to make a difference because the formula that distributes the funding must be fixed first.

The association says a review into special needs funding is at least three years overdue.

It has formed a special education working group and hopes to work with Associate Education Minister Heather Roy, who has launched a full review into the special education model.

Past president of the APPA and head of the working action group Owen Alexander said there should be a single funding pool for students to tap into, a streamlined process for accessing the funds, and the cap on Orrs funding should be extended to include at least 5 per cent of students.

As it stands, there are separate buckets of funding that a school must apply to for support.

These include Child, Youth and Family (CYF), the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), a supplementary learning support fund and a high complex needs fund it can take up to six months to complete the necessary paperwork only to be refused. And even if a student does qualify for Orrs funding, the "reviewable" nature of it means it can be taken away in order to meet the cap.

Orrs funding is currently limited to 3 per cent of the student population, but Mr Alexander believes at least 5 per cent fit into the category of "very high to high needs".

The funding should be brought into a single pool and principals should have more control over it as they are the ones who see the children every day and know what their capabilities and needs are, Mr Alexander said.

"Special needs units have become a 'dirty word' but sometimes they are an important part of mainstreaming. They are not a 'dumping ground'," Mr Alexander said.

* Yesterday the Human Rights Commission presented a report, on behalf of IHC, to the Ministry of Education, that argues for more inclusion of disabled students in schools. The ministry was not able to comment on the matter yesterday.