Alarming data reveals surge in students with learning disabilities

One in 10 Victorian public and Catholic school students is now registered with either an intellectual disability such as ADHD or a “social disability”.

The number of Victorian students diagnosed with a disability has soared following lockdown. Picture: iStock

Educators have called for more transparency around how schools spend disability funding after Victoria reported the biggest jump in the number of students with disabilities needing financial support in the country.

The Herald Sun on Thursday revealed Victoria recorded an alarming increase in the number of students diagnosed with cognitive and social disabilities in the past two years when schools were shuttered due to Covid lockdowns.

Monash University senior disability and inclusion lecturer Dr Kate de Bruin said schools should report how they spend money allocated to the growing number of students with disabilities eligible for financial support.

“Equally as important as funding is the transparency and the accountability for how funding is used, and where it goes, and the quality of resources and support to which their funding is dedicated,” she said.

In response to the figures uncovered by the Herald Sun, Victorian Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said the numbers showed that more students were receiving help as Victoria shifted to a needs-based funding model based on individual student circumstances.

“We’ve provided schools with more resources to ensure every student gets appropriate support, and the 2021 data reflects that fact,” she said.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy said it was “no surprise” that many children are falling further behind after two years of home learning.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy at his old school. Picture: Angie Basdekis

Mr Guy said the Andrews government had failed to emphasise the impact that lockdowns had on children, particularly those with spectrum disorders such as autism and ADHD.

“There is no way for the Premier or his Ministers to try and spin this away,” he said.

“This is a direct result of keeping kids out of the classroom for extended periods of time which has hurt their educational status.”

“It’s hurt their mental health and it’s why I say we must at all stages keep our kids at school. It’s the most important thing to do with our children.

“That is a legacy which the government will have to answer for in the future because they’re the ones who caused it.”

One in 10 Victorian public and Catholic school students is now registered with either an intellectual disability such as ADHD or a “social disability”, including depression or ­autism.

The disturbing figures, found in federal Education Department data submitted to a Senate estimates hearing, revealed Victoria recorded the biggest spike in the country between 2020 and 2021 – an increase of almost 20,000 students.

While the number of students with disabilities in NSW and Queensland rose by 5 per cent in 2020, Victoria recorded a 23 per cent jump.

The increase comes as mental health specialists warned Victoria’s record rise showed the learning difficulties students already had, particularly those with cognitive disabilities, were compounded by the pandemic.

Clinical psychologist ­Andrew Fuller said Victoria’s “long periods of isolation” during the lockdowns caused a “fearful reticence” among students.

“They’re having heightened levels of anxiety and mood distress,” Mr Fuller said. “School is an opportunity to bolster wellbeing and maturation, and if you’re missing out on that then you get this (developmental) delay. For kids who are ­already on the outer and who have some sort of disability, it amplifies those concerns.”

The second-highest increase in pupil disability diagnoses during that time was in the Northern Territory, which trailed Victoria’s increase at 17 per cent.

Based on figures collected by the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability, there are 97,223 public school students who reportedly have disabilities – up 18 per cent from 2019. Catholic school students with disabilities rose by 5098 students, also 18 per cent, during the same period.

There are 97,223 public school students who reportedly have disabilities.

According to the latest ­national data, Victorian state school students received an ­average of $3086 in financial support in 2020, while Catholic students received $7808, totalling about $490m in funding from the federal Education Department.

But Australian Education Union Victorian branch deputy president Justin Mullaly said principals reported the increased funding for students with disabilities in public schools, but it was often diverted to cover other costs that did not specifically relate to those students.

“Victorian public school teachers, education support staff and principals provide considerable support for students with disability and ­additional needs,” he said.

“But the reality is the underfunding of public schools significantly limits what they can deliver,” he said.

“The state government must increase funding for students with a disability so that schools have the resources they need to deliver teaching and learning programs that properly meet the needs of all students.”

Matthew Guy said it was “no surprise” many kids are falling further behind after two years of lockdowns.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic schools acting executive director Mary Oski said its schools worked with parents and teachers to identify students with disabilities who needed targeted support.

The Victorian Department of Education is rolling out a $1.6bn overhaul of its support for students with disabilities in public schools, including establishing a tailored profile of ­individual students’ abilities and needs.

But it declined to comment on the increase.

Responding to the Herald Sun’s report on the spike in learning disabilities, senior Labor MP Ben Carroll said the government “did not underestimate” the effect lockdown would have on children.

“We certainly did not underestimate what the lockdown would do,” Mr Carroll said.

“I think we all understand the pandemic – no matter what sector or where you work – hasn’t been easy.

“It’s why we’ve been...supporting our school teachers and our students through remote learning, air purifiers, mental health practitioners.

“We continue to stand with them and support them because we know how important education is.”