Pub Date : 2022-10-04DOI: 10.1177/00049441221127454
Catia Malaquias
The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006 and, in particular, Article 24 was a landmark in the struggle of people with disability for recognition of their fundamental human rights, including their right to education. As a legally binding treaty under international law, imposing obligations on States Parties that signed and ratified it (including Australia), it required those States Parties to bring their domestic legislation into conformity with their CRPD obligations. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Standards) made under it, remain the principal Australian statutory protection of the rights of students with disability to access education on the basis of equality and non-discrimination even though the DDA and the Standards preceded the CRPD. This article explores the proposition that the DDA and the Standards do not adequately implement Australia’s international legal obligations in relation to the education of students with disability. Note: This article makes use of agreed or legally defined terms. These terms are presented in italics throughout.
{"title":"Unrealised promises and hollow claims: Australia’s failure to enact its international obligations under the CRPD for the education of students with disability","authors":"Catia Malaquias","doi":"10.1177/00049441221127454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221127454","url":null,"abstract":"The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006 and, in particular, Article 24 was a landmark in the struggle of people with disability for recognition of their fundamental human rights, including their right to education. As a legally binding treaty under international law, imposing obligations on States Parties that signed and ratified it (including Australia), it required those States Parties to bring their domestic legislation into conformity with their CRPD obligations. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Standards) made under it, remain the principal Australian statutory protection of the rights of students with disability to access education on the basis of equality and non-discrimination even though the DDA and the Standards preceded the CRPD. This article explores the proposition that the DDA and the Standards do not adequately implement Australia’s international legal obligations in relation to the education of students with disability. Note: This article makes use of agreed or legally defined terms. These terms are presented in italics throughout.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43783281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-28DOI: 10.1177/00049441221125282
S. Carrington, Carly J. Lassig, Lara Maia-Pike, Glenys Mann, S. Mavropoulou, Beth R. Saggers
Inclusive education is central to achieving high-quality education for all students and is a recognised commitment of the Australian government under international human rights law. However, Australia’s lack of commitment to move away from segregation is reflected in its persistence in maintaining and funding segregated (special) settings. Queensland led the way with the introduction of an inclusive education policy in 2018; nonetheless, this does not go far enough, as there is no commitment to diminish segregated schooling for students with disability. This lack of action works against the effective implementation of the policy. Using the Framework of Drivers for and Barriers to the Closure of Special Schools, we conducted a thematic analysis focussing on societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to educational desegregation. Our findings indicate where and why discrimination, segregation and exclusion remain strongly embedded in our society and education system. We provide recommendations for future reforms to the Disability Standards for Education in Australia.
{"title":"Societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to inclusive education","authors":"S. Carrington, Carly J. Lassig, Lara Maia-Pike, Glenys Mann, S. Mavropoulou, Beth R. Saggers","doi":"10.1177/00049441221125282","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221125282","url":null,"abstract":"Inclusive education is central to achieving high-quality education for all students and is a recognised commitment of the Australian government under international human rights law. However, Australia’s lack of commitment to move away from segregation is reflected in its persistence in maintaining and funding segregated (special) settings. Queensland led the way with the introduction of an inclusive education policy in 2018; nonetheless, this does not go far enough, as there is no commitment to diminish segregated schooling for students with disability. This lack of action works against the effective implementation of the policy. Using the Framework of Drivers for and Barriers to the Closure of Special Schools, we conducted a thematic analysis focussing on societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to educational desegregation. Our findings indicate where and why discrimination, segregation and exclusion remain strongly embedded in our society and education system. We provide recommendations for future reforms to the Disability Standards for Education in Australia.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43807842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-27DOI: 10.1177/00049441221120713
Tim Pitman, M. Brett
This article explores a century and a half of supporting students with disabilities in Australian higher education, spanning the introduction of mass public education legislation in 1872 through to 2022. The article documents the transition from a paradigm in which disability was not integral to universal public instruction to systemic approaches to provision of reasonable adjustments. This transition has opened opportunities for persons with disabilities in some regards yet impedes full inclusion in others. Theoretically, we draw upon multiple paradigms of disability to explore how disability support has evolved in the Australian higher education sector, including ‘charitable’, ‘inspiration porn’, ‘medical’, ‘social’, ‘prosthetic’ and ‘ecological’ models. We offer qualitative and quantitative examples across time to illustrate these evolving paradigms. We then explore an alternative model of disability, which we define as an ‘Accessible’ model of disability support.
{"title":"Disability and Australian higher education: The case for an Accessible model of disability support","authors":"Tim Pitman, M. Brett","doi":"10.1177/00049441221120713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221120713","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores a century and a half of supporting students with disabilities in Australian higher education, spanning the introduction of mass public education legislation in 1872 through to 2022. The article documents the transition from a paradigm in which disability was not integral to universal public instruction to systemic approaches to provision of reasonable adjustments. This transition has opened opportunities for persons with disabilities in some regards yet impedes full inclusion in others. Theoretically, we draw upon multiple paradigms of disability to explore how disability support has evolved in the Australian higher education sector, including ‘charitable’, ‘inspiration porn’, ‘medical’, ‘social’, ‘prosthetic’ and ‘ecological’ models. We offer qualitative and quantitative examples across time to illustrate these evolving paradigms. We then explore an alternative model of disability, which we define as an ‘Accessible’ model of disability support.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45187987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-27DOI: 10.1177/00049441221127765
Karen de Bruin
Inclusive education is a global priority and binding obligation for Australia to meet as a signatory to international human rights treaties. It is also supported by evidence as an effective model of schooling for all students and supporting those with disability. Yet segregation remains deeply embedded within the education systems of all states and territories and the Australian Government has indicated its commitment to retaining it. In this article, I present a policy analysis using the concept of path dependency to identify historical events that created this dual track of segregated and regular education settings as well as the mechanisms that maintain it. I show that eugenic anxieties were fundamental in the formalised creation of segregated education settings. I also show that their expansion was fuelled by the rise of disability assessments, particularly the assessment of intellectual disability, and remain embedded in current policy even when they are antithetical to its goals. I conclude with suggestions for how this might be overcome and what it might take to achieve an inclusive education system in Australia.
{"title":"Learning in the shadow of eugenics: Why segregated schooling persists in Australia","authors":"Karen de Bruin","doi":"10.1177/00049441221127765","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221127765","url":null,"abstract":"Inclusive education is a global priority and binding obligation for Australia to meet as a signatory to international human rights treaties. It is also supported by evidence as an effective model of schooling for all students and supporting those with disability. Yet segregation remains deeply embedded within the education systems of all states and territories and the Australian Government has indicated its commitment to retaining it. In this article, I present a policy analysis using the concept of path dependency to identify historical events that created this dual track of segregated and regular education settings as well as the mechanisms that maintain it. I show that eugenic anxieties were fundamental in the formalised creation of segregated education settings. I also show that their expansion was fuelled by the rise of disability assessments, particularly the assessment of intellectual disability, and remain embedded in current policy even when they are antithetical to its goals. I conclude with suggestions for how this might be overcome and what it might take to achieve an inclusive education system in Australia.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44968176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-26DOI: 10.1177/00049441221127706
E. Dickson
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) appears to offer powerful remedies to students who have been refused enrolment, excluded after enrolment or denied educational opportunities or benefits because of their disability. The Act prohibits discrimination on the ground of disability in the protected area of education and obligates reasonable adjustment for disability. Over the course of its thirty-year history, court action taken under the DDA has disappointed more students than it has helped. Legislation like the DDA operates within a broader legal system and its remedial effect is affected by that system. Barriers to inclusion have risen from the legal system surrounding the DDA, a system which is complaints-based, adversarial and expensive. An analysis of those barriers is the focus of this article.
{"title":"Legal system barriers to the effectiveness of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) as a support for the inclusion of students with disability","authors":"E. Dickson","doi":"10.1177/00049441221127706","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221127706","url":null,"abstract":"The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) appears to offer powerful remedies to students who have been refused enrolment, excluded after enrolment or denied educational opportunities or benefits because of their disability. The Act prohibits discrimination on the ground of disability in the protected area of education and obligates reasonable adjustment for disability. Over the course of its thirty-year history, court action taken under the DDA has disappointed more students than it has helped. Legislation like the DDA operates within a broader legal system and its remedial effect is affected by that system. Barriers to inclusion have risen from the legal system surrounding the DDA, a system which is complaints-based, adversarial and expensive. An analysis of those barriers is the focus of this article.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47019866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-24DOI: 10.1177/00049441221107424
S. Walker, S. Clendon, Jessica Paynter, Bev Flückiger, R. Bowen, Roslyn Sullivan, Marleen F. Westerveld
There is increasing awareness of the high levels of support needed for literacy learning for children on the autism spectrum. Although research has investigated the quality of the classroom literacy environment, little attention has been paid to examining the classroom literacy environment in specialist classrooms catering specifically for children on the spectrum. The current study used the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) to guide observations, combined with stimulated recall and semi-structured teacher interviews to explore the classroom environments and teacher practices used to support children on the spectrum. Ten teachers from two primary specialist schools participated. The findings highlighted the strong focus on language development and foundational literacy skills across the early years in both schools. Findings demonstrated the potential utility of an observation checklist such as the ELLCO in guiding observations when augmented by stimulated recall interviews. Suggestions are provided for assessing the literacy environment in specialist classrooms for children on the spectrum.
{"title":"Observing the classroom literacy environment of children on the autism spectrum in specialist classrooms","authors":"S. Walker, S. Clendon, Jessica Paynter, Bev Flückiger, R. Bowen, Roslyn Sullivan, Marleen F. Westerveld","doi":"10.1177/00049441221107424","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221107424","url":null,"abstract":"There is increasing awareness of the high levels of support needed for literacy learning for children on the autism spectrum. Although research has investigated the quality of the classroom literacy environment, little attention has been paid to examining the classroom literacy environment in specialist classrooms catering specifically for children on the spectrum. The current study used the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) to guide observations, combined with stimulated recall and semi-structured teacher interviews to explore the classroom environments and teacher practices used to support children on the spectrum. Ten teachers from two primary specialist schools participated. The findings highlighted the strong focus on language development and foundational literacy skills across the early years in both schools. Findings demonstrated the potential utility of an observation checklist such as the ELLCO in guiding observations when augmented by stimulated recall interviews. Suggestions are provided for assessing the literacy environment in specialist classrooms for children on the spectrum.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44514614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-24DOI: 10.1177/00049441221107974
M. Macdonald, E. Gringart, Sarah Booth, R. Somerville
The present study aimed to empirically evaluate the knowledges, attitudes and perspectives of pre-service teachers towards Indigenous peoples, and to identify relationships between student learning experiences and student knowledges, attitudes and preparedness to work with Indigenous peoples, at one Australian university. The project was part of a broader mixed-methods study utilising an Indigenous Graduate Attribute evaluation instrument developed by Indigenous scholars at another Australian university, hence we also present construct validation of the instrument for the present sample. The project identified that students entered the units with positive attitudes towards Indigenous peoples and knowledges and found value in their learning. Students reported that the units facilitated authentic engagement with Indigenous standpoints even though some educators were non-Indigenous. Visible pedagogical and content decisions such as Indigenous leadership in the course, collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff, professionally relevant learning opportunities, and engaging with Indigenous perspectives through assessment were all identified to be related to positive experiences of learning.
{"title":"Pedagogy matters: Positive steps towards Indigenous cultural competency in a pre-service teacher cohort","authors":"M. Macdonald, E. Gringart, Sarah Booth, R. Somerville","doi":"10.1177/00049441221107974","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221107974","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aimed to empirically evaluate the knowledges, attitudes and perspectives of pre-service teachers towards Indigenous peoples, and to identify relationships between student learning experiences and student knowledges, attitudes and preparedness to work with Indigenous peoples, at one Australian university. The project was part of a broader mixed-methods study utilising an Indigenous Graduate Attribute evaluation instrument developed by Indigenous scholars at another Australian university, hence we also present construct validation of the instrument for the present sample. The project identified that students entered the units with positive attitudes towards Indigenous peoples and knowledges and found value in their learning. Students reported that the units facilitated authentic engagement with Indigenous standpoints even though some educators were non-Indigenous. Visible pedagogical and content decisions such as Indigenous leadership in the course, collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff, professionally relevant learning opportunities, and engaging with Indigenous perspectives through assessment were all identified to be related to positive experiences of learning.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45614104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-23DOI: 10.1177/00049441221092472
David J Stevenson, J. Neill, Kayla Ball, Rebecca Smith, Melena C Shores
Student violence directed at school educators appears to be increasing, thus it is important to identify practical strategies that educators use to prevent and cope with occupational violence. This observational study surveyed 369 government primary school staff in the Australian Capital Territory. Sixty per cent of respondents reported abusive language, 42% physical aggression, and 43% experienced other threatening behaviour from students at least weekly. More than one-third of respondents rated the impact of these experiences as moderate or higher. The most effective prevention strategies, according to respondents, were the educator’s response to the threat, focusing on the student’s needs, working collaboratively, and using antecedent control. The most effective coping strategies were debriefing, self-care, and work support. The most helpful sources of support were workplace colleagues, partners, school leaders, and friends. This study offers a solution-focused perspective about what works in preventing and coping with occupational violence from educators’ points of view.
{"title":"How do preschool to year 6 educators prevent and cope with occupational violence from students?","authors":"David J Stevenson, J. Neill, Kayla Ball, Rebecca Smith, Melena C Shores","doi":"10.1177/00049441221092472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441221092472","url":null,"abstract":"Student violence directed at school educators appears to be increasing, thus it is important to identify practical strategies that educators use to prevent and cope with occupational violence. This observational study surveyed 369 government primary school staff in the Australian Capital Territory. Sixty per cent of respondents reported abusive language, 42% physical aggression, and 43% experienced other threatening behaviour from students at least weekly. More than one-third of respondents rated the impact of these experiences as moderate or higher. The most effective prevention strategies, according to respondents, were the educator’s response to the threat, focusing on the student’s needs, working collaboratively, and using antecedent control. The most effective coping strategies were debriefing, self-care, and work support. The most helpful sources of support were workplace colleagues, partners, school leaders, and friends. This study offers a solution-focused perspective about what works in preventing and coping with occupational violence from educators’ points of view.","PeriodicalId":46741,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43560509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}