Schools who have students with high needs will receive extra funding under a new needs-based funding model to be announced in this year's state budget.
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Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the budget will include $34 million over the forward estimates to allow Tasmania to move towards a true needs-based funding model from 2020.
The needs-based funding model will see funding for students with a disability nearly double for schools who have higher needs students.
In Tasmania, disability funding support for students is based on an IQ test, with support given to students who rate 50 IQ points or below.
Tasmania is the only state to record the IQ test at this point, with other states putting students on the Severe Disabilities Register if they record an IQ of 70 or below.
The funding model was a priority established by the Disability Ministerial Taskforce established in 2015.
The shift to a needs-based funding model was first announced by Mr Rockliff in 2017 but has not been ready to implement until now.
An interim report published by the task force indicated a needs-based funding model would ensure the complex needs of students with a disability would be met and give teachers and schools extra support.
Tasmanian Disability Education Reform Lobby founder Kristen Desmond sits on the ministerial task force.
She has mentioned her desire for a needs-based funding model in the past and has worked with the government and other stakeholders to develop the model.
Mr Rockliff said the "nation-leading approach" would take the total investment to support students with a disability to a total of $93.35 million.
"This is an increase of $24 million since we came to government in 2014," he said.
"Allocating disability resources in this way is a huge shift in practice and culture for our schools and families and is about ensuring we have a truly inclusive education system that delivers all students a quality education.
The provision of more targeted educational support in the classroom for students with disability is also expected to have flow-on benefits to teachers and other students," he said.
The needs-based funding model will be introduced from 2020 and moves away from the "one-size-fits-all" approach of providing funding based on the type of disability a student is living with.
Extensive consultation is already underway to ensure schools are ready for this funding to be delivered from next financial year.
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"A new need-based approach to disability funding will make a huge difference for our students, staff and schools and is an important part of our plan to maintain the momentum we have created in education and ensure that every Tasmanian student has the best possible opportunities in life," Mr Rockliff said.
The state's needs-based funding model builds on the agreement struck between the state and federal governments in January, which aims to turn the tide on a system that has regularly been described as 'broken'.
The national agreement will see $490 million in funding flow to Tasmanian schools to support students living with a disability and will be supported by the state funding.
Tasmania will be the first state to implement a needs-based funding model for students with a disability.
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