tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27584252.post451833617475226407..comments2024-03-18T20:17:37.269+11:00Comments on Boy on a bike: Disabled students - how many are there really?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27584252.post-35072119221960078132010-12-02T10:48:12.218+11:002010-12-02T10:48:12.218+11:00"Right, let's dig into those numbers.&quo..."Right, let's dig into those numbers."<br /><br />I thought you were going to find statistics about the proportion of SWD in private schools.<br /><br />Figures on this are hard to dig up, but the most comprehensive I've been able to find are here - http://www.saveourschools.com.au/funding/students-with-disabilities-are-better-funded-in-nsw-private-schools-than-in-govt-schools<br /><br />This data supports the contention that SWDs in public schools are disadvantaged.<br /><br />To me, this is not an issue about money. There is a far more important issue about basic access to education. Why can't students whose parents are prepared to pay to attend "private" schools, be allowed to enrol in these schools? That's the more significant issue.<br /><br />Incidentally, they're no such thing as a "private" school. They all get subsidised (generally at between 40% and 60%) by the taxpayer, so "subsidised schools" is the more accurate appellation.<br /><br />I got heartily sick over the years of listening to distressed parents explaining to me (when they were enrolling their child at my special school) that they'd been turned away from their private school of choice even though they were prepared to pay the fees plus any extra on the basis of the disability.<br /><br />That's why these days I act as a pro-bono advocate when parents are prepared to take the school to the HREEC. They don't take action often - it's a distressing process - but I haven't been involved in a case yet where the Commission didn't find in favour of the parent. For the "private" schools involved, it's been a steep learning curve.<br /> <br />"Let's just assume these are more expensive to run - I'll pull a figure of $12,000 per kid out of my arse:"<br /><br />It's about twice that, based on my experience as a Special School Principal. The extra costs relate to salaries. Average group size in a Special School is about 5, as opposed to 25 in a regular school. Straightaway there's a factor of five, without counting the extra teacher aide time, therapists' input, and special facilities required.<br /><br />It's hard to find data, but you can check the ACT figures - http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/budget/budget99/BP4/b4_15d.htm<br /><br />They specify a per student cost of $27310.<br /><br />Your "extra cost" now becomes $121,966,460<br /><br />And the total extra cost = $189,091,763, now 1.59%.<br /><br />Not a major difference, but you might as well be accurate.1735099https://www.blogger.com/profile/17945140949290600423noreply@blogger.com