Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff announces shift to needs-based student disability funding in Tasmania

The announcement follows the recommendations of a ministerial taskforce in 2015 that found there was a “clear need” to move away from Tasmania’s IQ-based disability funding model to the needs-based model championed by David Gonski.

Mr Rockliff said on Wednesday that the “next step” toward a needs-based funding model for students was being taken.

“The Tasmanian Government will now extensively consult with principals, support teachers, class teachers and parents of students with disability in Tasmanian Government schools on the new funding model,” he said.

“The model will ensure that funding will be allocated based on the adjustments needed by students, and made by teachers, rather than the current historically based medical model of identification of disability.”

Disability lobby groups have been increasing pressure on the state government to alter the funding model for years.

Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby founder Kristen Desmond said the announcement was “a massive step” for students with a disability in the state that would be warmly welcomed by lobbyists and families.

Alongside the proposed changes to student disability funding, Mr Rockliff said a similar needs-based model would be introduced for teachers.

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The new model would increase the pupil-teacher ratio to one teacher per 3.6 students and increase full-time-equivalent staff to 4.37 in all government support schools.

“The new model ensures each support school will have a consistent senior staffing profile- one principal, one assistant principal, and two Advanced Skill Teachers,” he said.

Information from the 2016 Nationally Consistent Collection of Data showed Tasmania has the lowest percentage of students with a disability receiving reasonable adjustments in their education.

The state government’s announcement follows the federal government’s needs-based funding reform which will use student data sourced from the NCCD to determine funding.