‘Heartbreaking stories’ underline the need for a review of the learning support sector

The government has announced “major” changes to its $1.2 billion learning support system, but details of what this will look like won’t become clear until June next year.

It follows findings of the Highest needs assessment released on Thursday, in which more than 1100 submissions were received advocate for increased funding to support an increasing number of children with diverse learning needs.

At Berhampore School in Wellington, Education Minister Jan Tinetti said learning support was “one of the most fractured areas in education”.

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“We know this is true […] something that not only the industry is crying out for change, but also the families.”

One parent quoted in the review said it did wanted their child to have a life where they were “included”. and “not separated from society”.

“I want my child to get the support, too adequate teacher supportto attend their local regular school with their siblings,” the parent said.

Another said inclusion “should be the goal for all children – but only if supported”, calling for better resources and teacher training.

Tinetti, a former executive, said the “heartbreaking stories” of parents describing how a lack of support kept their children from thriving showed why the change was necessary.

At this point, out of every seven students who received support, there were three who weren’t, she said – this was “not good enough”.

Tinetti estimated that the proposed changes would help boost support and have a “flow-on effect”.

The new mixed-model approach will focus on seven key areas of change, including:

• A new service system with customized support
• A new financing model that supports a flexible approach
• An integrated and inclusive school network
• More integration with other agencies
• Māori and Pacific guided learning support
• Increased staff capacity and skills training

It is intended to enable whānau to have a greater say in the support provided and to retrain educational staff to better support children with high learning needs.

Details of these changes, including figures related to funding and new staff, will be presented in a cabinet report in June.

Tinetti said changes took time to develop, as well as “significant and ongoing” investment.

In the meantime, the ministry would look at ways to improve access to support, as “our young people have waited too long,” she said.

The headmaster of the Berhampore School, Mark Potter, was optimistic about the changes seen, adding that they had been waiting for decades.

“I’ve been here long enough to see children who haven’t had their needs met and the damage that causes,” he said.

The system had been driven by formulas for too long, making it not suitable for every child.

He expected that “substantial investment” would be needed, as well as measures to address the shortage of specialists to meet the current demand in the system.

“Improving wages and working conditions is critical to solving this.”

The President of the Post Primary Teachers Association Te Wehengarua, Melanie Webber, was delighted to see progress made in acknowledging students and their whānau needed more support, adding that there was a “pressing need” to change.

Professional learning and development opportunities were particularly welcome, she said.

“It is absolutely crucial that those students receive that support early on. Without that support, we see children unable to reach their potential and it is heartbreaking.