Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 1672 asked in the Legislative Council on 9 October 2018 by Hon Alison Xamon

Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to students with disability, and I ask:
(a) how many students at Western Australian government schools have an assessed IQ of 70 to 75;
(b) are any of the students from (a) eligible for individual disability allocation funding;
(c) if yes to b):
(i) how many; and
(ii) how many of these students do not have a co-existing diagnosis or condition;
(d) for students from (a) who are not eligible for individual disability allocation funding, do schools receive other funding allocations to meet their needs;
(e) if yes to (d), will the Minister please detail the nature and amount of any funding allocations;
(f) is the McGowan Government planning to undertake any work to better address the needs of students with an intellectual disability who do not meet the threshold for individual funding allocations;
(g) if no to (f), why not; and
(h) if yes to (f), please advise what work will be undertaken?

Answered on 6 November 2018

 Answer

  1. The Department of Education does not record this information in a central reporting system. A large number of individual student records would have to be manually reviewed in order to provide this information. On this basis, it is not feasible to provide this information as it would require extensive additional resources over a significant period of time.
  2. Students within (a) may be eligible for the Individual Disability Allocation under other disability categories. Eligibility for an Individual Disability Allocation under the Intellectual Disability category is based on a number of specific criteria, one of which requires an IQ of 69 or below on an individually administered appropriate IQ test.
  3. (i)-(ii) See answer to (a).
  4. Yes.
  5. Through the student-centred funding model, every mainstream public school receives the Educational Adjustment to address any additional learning support needs it identifies for its students. In the 2018 school year, Educational Adjustment allocations to a total of $28.9 million were provided to schools to support students who are not eligible for the Individual Disability Allocation.  
  6. The School Psychology Service provides support for schools to address the needs of students with intellectual disability, regardless of whether or not the students meet the eligibility criteria for an Individual Disability Allocation. The School Psychology Service provides support to schools in the areas of behaviour, learning, and mental health and wellbeing, and schools are supported in making appropriate curriculum adjustments for students in order to enhance their learning outcomes.  In addition, every public school in Western Australia has access to the School of Special Educational Needs: Disability, which provides a consulting teacher service that supports and advises classroom teachers on how to best meet the needs of students with disability and a range of learning needs. This service provides expertise and intensive support to schools to help review current programs and adjust classroom teaching to create whole-school improvement approaches that support students. 
  7. See answer to (f).
  8. See answer to (f).