Thursday, 11 September 2025

 Rachel WESTAWAY (Prahran) (10:40): I recently had the privilege of visiting Kamaruka, a remarkable specialist school in South Yarra that serves up to 60 neurodivergent boys from year 2 to year 10. Founded in 2001 by Alfonso Scibilia, Kamaruka provides a lifeline for students with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder who struggle in mainstream education. Under the leadership of the wonderful principal Michelle Zintschenko, I met their school captain and a number of boys from a range of years, whose stories exemplify how the right environment allows neurodivergent students to survive and thrive. With a modified curriculum, chill-out zones for regulation, and dedicated staff, Kamaruka restores self-esteem and creates pathways to success for students who have been failed in other places. However, small specialist schools like Kamaruka face systemic funding disadvantages. While they receive per-student loading, their total funding capacity remains severely limited compared to larger institutions. More critically, research shows that ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions often attract no additional funding at the school level, despite students meeting disability support criteria. The current census-based funding system, with its 1 August snapshot date, creates a perverse incentive for schools to game enrolment timing rather than focus on genuine student outcomes. The inadequate recognition and treatment of ADHD alone costs our government over $20 billion annually through reduced productivity and increased healthcare costs.