MEDIA RELEASE FROM CRAIG INGRAM MP - MEMBER FOR GIPPSLAND EAST Issued: Friday 6 October 2006

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Ingram fights for Victorian schools disability funding

The Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has called on the State Government to guarantee that it will adequately fund disability and handicap support in the state’s primary and secondary schools.

Speaking in Parliament this week, Mr Ingram said it appeared that many schools will face a major reduction in funding in the next school year.

“In some cases, this reduction will be of the order of 50 per cent and involve hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Mr Ingram said.

He also criticised the current funding model for its lack of transparency, in not showing how each individual student's level of impairment and funding allocation is assessed.

“Some almost identical applications are treated differently,” Mr Ingram said.

“I call on the government to guarantee that schools will get the financial support they need to make sure they can deliver the integration aides and other assistance for the most disadvantaged students in our education system.

“Considering the state's financial position and the billons of dollars that has been raked in through stamp duty, GST, the pokies and fines, it is abhorrent that the government cannot or will not adequately support the most disadvantaged in our education system.

“These students have learning difficulties, such as autism or intellectual disabilities, and funding is essential for integration aides and other learning assistance.

“That a Labor government, which supposedly prides itself on supporting public education, cannot or will not make sure it can fund this assistance for our school system is a disgrace,” Mr Ingram concluded.