Special schools should be abolished, researchers say

Educators are pushing for special schools to be scrapped and for all students to be educated together, regardless of their abilities.

Victoria’s education system should be overhauled to have students with disabilities and special needs taught in the same classes as other pupils, academics say.

In a push for special schools to be abolished, education specialists have called for teachers to be trained to teach all students according to their individual needs, instead of “segregating” those with disabilities or learning difficulties.

Teresa Iacono of La Trobe University’s College of Science, Health and Engineering said there should be “no such thing” as a difference between ‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ schools, and that every school should just be a “regular” one.

“We need to look now at how we strengthen mainstream systems to cater to the needs of people with disabilities,” Prof Iacono said.

“You would be hard-pressed to find a classroom that doesn’t have at least one, if not more, kids who need some sort of extra learning support.”

Senior lecturer at Australia Catholic University’s school of education Melissa Cain, who specialises in inclusive education, said teaching degrees and training needed to better prepare prospective teachers to deliver lessons and manage students, regardless of their abilities.

Academics are pushing for special schools to be scrapped.

“It doesn’t matter what they (students) look like and what they can achieve, or what or you know, they should all be able to be educated together, and that means that we have to make sure this is happening in our initial teacher education,” Dr Cain said.

“We shouldn’t be taking one set of children out of our society. Students with disabilities gain the most from being with their peers.”

Deakin University School of Education associate professor Tim Corcoran also called for an education revamp so everyone could attend “regular schools”, but said parents’ concerns about stigma associated with disabilities and bullying needed to be acknowledged.

“Questions would have to be asked about how we address the potential for that stigma and bullying,” Prof Corcoran said.

“But that is not being addressed by continuing to separate kids living with disabilities from society and environments with people not living with disabilities.

It comes as Education Minister Natalie Hutchins on Saturday called for more teachers to study the Master of Inclusive Education and Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties) which were funded as part of the state government’s $1.6bn investment into inclusive education over five years.

“We’re making sure every child and young person in Victoria – no matter their background, background, abilities or differences, can meet their potential and access a great education,” she said.

“We’ve built two new specialist schools in the last 12 months and we are delivering new supported inclusion schools.

The calls follow a study by Monash University, which traced education policy in Victoria dating back to the introduction of public education in 1872, and found that policies and funding have historically been driven by the goal of eliminating “unwanted traits from the human race” – a concept known as ‘eugenics’.

Education Minister Natalie Hutchins on Saturday called for more teachers to study the Master of Inclusive Education and Graduate Certificate in Education (Learning Difficulties). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

It also called for special schools to be scrapped and all students educated under one system to eliminate discriminative assessments and practices for students with disabilities.

But Emerson specialist school principal John Mooney said special schools give kids with additional needs “an opportunity to shine”.

“Our school is about teaching kids to stand on their own two feet, and to become learners that will head towards employment,” he said.

“A person really needs intensive education opportunities to blossom and shine.

Mr Mooney, who has been in his role for 26 years, said people who say special schools are a form of “segregation” are not paying attention to the evidence around their efficacy.

Children and Young People with Disability Australia chief executive Skye Kakoschke-Moore said Victorian schools need more teachers with disability or neurodivergent staff to better reflect their local communities.

“No more specialist schools should be built,” she said.

“Co-teaching models need greater investment not just more under qualified aides.”

Inclusive education lecturer Kim Davies said inclusive education may not be achieved by a single schooling option.

“Inclusive education is far more complex, a much more wicked problem, and will not be guaranteed by a single schooling option. Location may be vexed, but so is school funding and making genuine inclusive cultures and practices possible and sustainable for all stakeholders,” Dr Davies said.