Disability royal commission
Record number of children restrained, secluded in state schools
Almost 2700 students were restrained or secluded in Victorian state schools in 2023, a 46 per cent rise that experts say is deeply concerning.
- by Caroline Schelle
Latest
‘Well overdue’: Criminal referrals, $15m fines for NDIS providers
Bill Shorten’s proposed measures ramp up consequences for providers whose participants come to harm. Until now, only two have been taken to court.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
‘False choice’: The decision about schools that leaves parents with few options
A state inquiry has made substantial recommendations to improve standards for teaching students with disabilities in NSW.
- by Kayla Olaya
Exclusive
Disability
Sixth government backflip in six months, this time on disability commissioner
The Allan government has quietly shelved a plan to axe the state’s disability commissioner on July 1, its sixth major policy walk-back in six months.
- by Broede Carmody
Special series
Behind the Headlines
I was about to get married. Then my phone exploded with calls from one person
He called four times in four minutes. It must be important, I thought – but I’d sworn to myself I wouldn’t answer my phone. Not today, of all days.
- by Nick McKenzie
Matthew had never been to a birthday party. That changed this year
There is a push to shut down special schools in coming decades, but parents of children with disabilities say they want to have the choice.
- by Christopher Harris
Opinion
Opinion
My son Alex is non-verbal and needs 24-hour care. He thrived at a mainstream school
When I told people that Alex would attend a mainstream school, most people wondered how it would work. His HSC hangs proudly on the wall, beside his year 12 formal photos.
- by Penny Graham
Opinion
Education
In our competitive school culture, students with a disability take second place
The disability royal commission education wishlist is honourable, but without a major cultural shift towards real inclusivity, little will change.
- by Chris Bonnor
Opinion
Disability
Segregation? No. For our family, David’s special school met all his needs
Misguided progressive activism is threatening to eradicate hard-won gains on education and housing by families like ours.
- by Jemma Rollo and Stuart Rollo
Opinion
Opinion
Some days, Alona is cheerful before school. Other days there’s high-pitched screaming
I am yet to see any explanation of how my daughter can practically sit in a mainstream classroom. At 16, she cannot read, and she cannot write.
- by Keren Zelwer
Opinion
For subscribers
After 14 years, I left the disability sector. Money alone can’t fix its problems
Throwing money at problems is what we do as a society. But sometimes in doing so, we fail to diagnose the underlying conditions that have created the problems in the first place.
- by Cherie Gilmour
Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/topic/disability-royal-commission-1moi