An inclusive education is when all children, no matter their education needs, can learn and thrive and be a valued member of their local school.

It is a human rights issue and is supported by international and national law including:
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
- UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2007
- NZ Education and Training Act 2020
- NZ Disability Strategy 2016

Despite being a signatory to the above, as well as enshrining the right to an inclusive education in education policy and in law – New Zealand struggles to deliver a truly inclusive education sector for all learners.

Recent government initiatives, such as the Ministry of Education website _[Te Kete Iparangi](http://www.tki.org.nz)_, provides support and guidance on building inclusive school culture as well as embedding it in school infrastructure and practice. 
While IHC supports such initiatives, it is concerned that disabled children and their families still come up against barriers when they attend their local schools. IHC has actively been seeking to redress this inequity through their Education Complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal. [Find out more here](https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/ihcs-education-complaint).
 
## What are some of the benefits of an inclusive education?

- Inclusive schools build communities that respect and value diversity.
- Disabled children who attend mainstream schools have better outcomes later in life – they achieve more academically, build relationship skills and have better employment prospects.
- Non-disabled children, in the same school environment, develop skills in relating to and accommodating people different to themselves and to develop ideas of equity and social justice.
- Schools build a flexible and responsive school culture and infrastructure – able to meet the needs of diverse learners.
- Families of disabled children feel that they are welcome and respected members of their community.
- Negative stereotypes about disability and difference can be eliminated through education and experience.

## What are some of the difficulties schools may experience implementing inclusive education?

- There is no definitive model or checklist for what an inclusive school looks like. It will vary from school to school and may change over time. Schools need to be flexible and adaptable.
- To do it well, schools need to be fully supported - financially, legislatively and through education policy. 
- It takes time and commitment to be a truly inclusive school. There may be a mismatch between a student’s support needs, and the ability for a school to build its capacity fast enough.

## Key features of inclusive schools

- A willingness to not only accept all children regardless of their need for learning support, but also to commit to making that support available.
- The school infrastructure – buildings, playgrounds, amenities – are fully accessible. This includes things like fences or lifts for students that need them.
- Activities and outings are planned so that all students can take part. It is not left up to parents to organize their child’s participation at school picnics, swimming sports etc.
- Teachers, school staff, pupils respect and value diversity.
- Children can be at school for the entire school day and are not sent home subject to teacher aides being able to be present.
- Children are not forced to learn apart from their classmates but are valued members of the classroom.

### So why do we have Specialist Schools?

Specialist schools exist because the availability of fully supported mainstream schools able to meet the needs of all learners across the length and breadth of New Zealand is not yet a reality.

We encourage parents to team up with their local school to get them to recognise their child’s right to an education in their local community and honouring a commitment to inclusive education. But if that simply does not seem possible or will take too long to achieve, then enrolling your child in a specialist school, may be best for you.

**Parent choice in deciding where your child will thrive and learn the most, is ultimately the deciding factor.** But also seek your child’s point of view as early as possible – they may surprise you by having a different perspective than your own.

[For more on specialist schools, visit the Ministry of Education site.](http://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/special-education/)

If you would like to know more about Inclusive Education, the following articles by Awhi Nga Matua and IHC Library may be of interest to you: _How can I tell if my disabled child is getting the inclusive education they deserve?;  Help! My local school does not want to enrol my disabled child – what can I do?_
Or contact the IHC library direct to have a chat about what you need on 0800 442 442. Alternatively, email: [Librarian@ihc.org.nz](mailto:Librarian@ihc.org.nz).



Inclusive Education - What is it?

What is inclusive education? Inclusive education in New Zealand. Right to an education.

Too many families in Aotearoa find local schools unwilling to enrol their disabled child – frequently schools say they have inadequate resources.

All students are legally entitled to free full-time education at public schools. Any denial of this is discrimination and goes against New Zealand’s binding and legal obligations to include all learners in mainstream schools.

This includes disabled learners - Section 34 of the Education and Training Act (2020) specifically states - **“Students who have special educational needs (whether because of disability or otherwise) have the same rights to enrol and receive education at state schools as those people who do not.”**

But while you may have the backing of law behind you, the delivery of **inclusive education in NZ, decades after it was first introduced, remains fragmented, inconsistent, and under-funded**. 

Previous Minister of Education Jan Tinetti recently likened inclusive education to a leaky roof: “There is never really an endpoint …we put a bucket under the area where it’s leaking, but then another leak springs and we put a bucket under there ...but what we really need to do is take a look at the roof . . .let’s ask ourselves what it is that we can do to affect the system as a whole”. 

That said, the [Ministry of Education’s (MoE) main website](https://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/inclusive-education/) clearly outlines what is expected of schools in terms of providing inclusive education. 

This includes:
- What is meant by inclusive education in the New Zealand environment.
- The legal and binding obligations to include all learners.
- How the Education Review Office (ERO) evaluates how well schools include students with high needs.
- The roles of boards and governance in building inclusive schools.

 There are some resources which may help to support inclusive practices in schools. These include the dedicated Inclusive Education website _[Te Kete Iparangi](http://www.tki.org.nz)_ and the[ Inclusive Practice self-review toolkit](http://www.wellbeingatschool.org.nz/inclusive-toolkit). There are also guides available for Individual Education plans.

Some of these resources, such as _Te Kete Iparangi’s_ online learning modules, are designed to help schools create more inclusive learning environments. They are relatively new, and reflect the on-going push to ‘do better’ where inclusive education is concerned.

The _IHC Inclusive Education Survey 2022_ of over 600 families and educational professionals showed the education sector is still falling short of expectations in delivering education to disabled students. 
**The main findings included:**
- Almost all respondents said that funding for disabled students does not deliver what they need to access education.
- Respondents lacked confidence that the latest MoE _Highest Needs Review_ would have a significant impact in resolving problems.
- Families felt that teacher capacity to teach diverse learners had reduced over the last three years.
- More than a third of the families said that their children were regularly sent home for part of the school day and were also unable to join in on non-school activities. 
- 86% of the professionals reported increased difficulties with the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) and accessing the specialist support disabled students needed to participate and achieve. 

**Two positive trends were also identified:**
- There had been a decline in the number of schools declining enrolments.
- Less disabled students were being stood down or suspended when compared to the two previous IHC Inclusive Education surveys in 2019 and 2014.

Trish Grant at the [Inclusive Education Action Group](http://www.ieag.org.nz) has the following advice for parents who are told their local school has insufficient resources to support their disabled child.

**“Your best option is to partner up with your school and jointly make sure the Ministry of Education lives up to its obligations and provides the necessary support.”**

And if you still feel the school is not doing enough, she advises contacting an advocacy group to enlist their help – for example the NZ Down Association, Autism NZ, Youth Law.

All children should feel welcome and included at their local school – with access to the support they need to be an engaged and enthusiastic learner.  It is unacceptable that for some children this isn’t the case and [IHC NZ has taken legal action with the Human Rights Review Tribunal.](https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/ihcs-education-complaint) 

It may be hard getting the education for your child that the New Zealand government has promised to deliver, but by remaining consistent in ensuring that your child’s right to education is fulfilled, you will be part of creating the inclusive education environment all children deserve.

**Disabled children, like all other children, want the chance to live ordinary lives, and access to mainstream education is key to that desire and their legal and human right.**

If you would like to know more about Inclusive Education, the following articles by Awhi Nga Matua and IHC Library may be of interest to you.


Help! My local school does not want to enrol my disabled child - What can I do? 

Help for my disabled child at school, expelled from school autism, stood down from school ADHD, autism and school 

An inclusive education goes beyond simply getting disabled and neurodivergent children through the school gates and into a mainstream classroom. A disabled child’s presence in the classroom alone does not mean ‘job done’.

All children vary in their educational needs, and New Zealand schools vary too, in how well they provide learning support to individual learners. The schools that do best are those that foster an inclusive school culture and prioritise supporting all children’s learning within the same cohort. 

Disabled and neurodivergent children are not taught in separate classrooms or separate spaces and do not do colouring-in while the rest of the class learns.

Even within schools the quality of support can vary from teacher to teacher, which is why a commitment to inclusive education must be apparent in all aspects of the school infrastructure and service delivery.

As a parent, if your child’s school is ‘not quite there yet’ in terms of providing the level of support your child needs, it may be up to you to hold the school and the Ministry of Education to account. 

Visit the school regularly and foster a team approach to ensure your child engages and thrives in that environment.

The Ministry of Education [has recently launched a new website dedicated to helping schools become more inclusive](http://www.tki.org.nz).

Online learning modules are available here, designed to help schools develop a culture of inclusion, unpack biases, and remove barriers to belonging.
Also available are specific guides to help teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those with FASD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and more. 

**As a parent, if you are not entirely sure what an inclusive classroom should look like, here are some of the key features to look out for:**

- Teachers actively support disabled students where diversity is positively acknowledged and responded to. This includes accepting behaviour that does not hurt themselves or anyone else but can be seen as ‘challenging’ such as stimming, making sudden noises, flapping hands or clapping.
- Lesson plans are adapted for students with learning needs – they may require less writing and writing. Visual aids and assistive technology are used. Tasks are broken down into manageable chunks.
- The same curriculum is provided to all the students but is differentiated according to students’ different learning styles, in the way it is presented and assessed. 
- Teamwork is evident between the teacher, teacher aides and any other relevant school staff to maximise your child’s learning.
- Your knowledge of your child’s strengths, weaknesses and interests are incorporated meaningfully into their IEP (Individual Education Plan) if they have one.
- A commitment to Professional Development encourages teachers to gain additional skills and expertise that support children with diverse needs. 
- Assistive technology – audiobooks, alternative keyboards, talking calculators, speech recognition programmes - are available and used when needed. 
- Cooperative learning through peer tutoring and buddy reading and writing is evident.
- Social relationships that are caring and supportive, are fostered throughout the classroom cohort, and between teacher and pupils. 
- Students with additional needs are not just assigned to a teacher aide and segregated from their classmates, but rather are an active member of the classroom with plenty of opportunities to interact with their teacher and their classmates. 

**Things that might indicate a problem**:
- Your child is being excluded in the playground and left out of school activities such as sports days or trips to the zoo.
- Your child’s teacher aide is the main person they interact with at school.
- Your child has limited social interactions outside of schooltime.
- Your child’s teacher, teacher aide or other school staff express low expectations for your child’s achievements and learning engagement. 
- Your child does not appear to be thriving – academically or socially.

**Talk to your school about these issues and how to resolve them**. And in the meantime, your child might appreciate knowing some of the following tips:
- If things are tough, talk about it with an adult they trust.
- Everyone learns differently – it’s no big deal and doesn’t mean they can’t learn.
- Join in in school activities like the school play – ask their teacher how they can participate.
- Become an expert on something other kids their age are interested in – it’s a great way to make friends.
- Become a helper so they’re not the one always feeling like they need help. Perhaps they can help younger children get familiar with school routines.
- Practise ways of staying calm when frustrated.
- To do their best, even if they’re not getting all the support they need.

It’s not ideal, but if progress with your local school seems to be going too slow you might want to see if there are other schools in your area that have a more committed inclusive school culture.

You can also get involved with [IHC’s Education complaint which aims to bring about the systemic change necessary to allow the NZ Education system to become truly inclusive.](https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/ihcs-education-complaint) 

If you would like to know more about Inclusive Education, the following articles by Awhi Nga Matua and IHC Library may be of interest to you.


A woman leans over and helps a child with their writing

How can I tell if my disabled child is getting the inclusive education they deserve?

Inclusive education New Zealand, helping disabled children at school, autism and NZ schools, helping ADHD children at school

An image description for accessibility purposes i.e. screen readers

Te Kete Ipurangi, Inclusive Education TKI

Te Kete Ipurangi – the online knowledge basket – is New Zealand’s bilingual education portal. An initiative of the Ministry of Education, it provides New Zealand schools and students with a wealth of information, resources, and curriculum materials to enhance teaching and learning, raise student achievement, and advance professional development for teaching staff and school managers.

Te Kete Ipurangi, Inclusive Education TKI

Summary

Related articles

Inclusive Education - What is it?

Help! My local school does not want to enrol my...

How can I tell if my disabled child is getting...