Thursday, 17 August 2023

Inclusive education

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (09:51): The Labor state government recently announced cuts to the visiting teacher service, a service delivered by 117 specialised teachers across the state who provide tailored support to students with a disability and serious illness. The decision was made without any consultation and shows a complete lack of understanding of how critical this service is to the nearly 4000 children who rely on it. In Victoria children with disabilities, particularly in regional areas, already face huge barriers to education. Ensuring access to quality education at an early age is critical because it shapes the opportunities they have in the future. I spoke with a mum whose daughter is deaf, and after trying several different jobs she ended up working with them on the farm because of the challenges she had communicating in the workplace.

This week in Parliament I joined my National Party colleagues to meet with representatives from the Deaf Hub Bendigo, Deaf Victoria, Deaf Australia and Deaf Aboriginal Services. I heard of a 12-year-old girl that had to interpret for her deaf mother in hospital when she was told by doctors that she had cancer and a deaf boy the same age as my own who excelled in maths but has not been able to complete VCE because he knows Auslan but struggles with English. These families need more support, not less. They need better access to education and role models who will show them what can be achieved. But to see this change, it starts with us.