A COALITION of Australia’s leading disability advocacy organisations is calling on the next elected Federal Government to commit to a fully inclusive education system, warning that students with disability continue to face systemic discrimination, exclusion, and bullying in schools.
The group – comprising 19 peak bodies including Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA), the Australian Autism Alliance, and Down Syndrome Australia – is demanding the urgent implementation of a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education, as recommended by the Disability Royal Commission in 2023.
“Inclusive education is not negotiable,” CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore said.
“Without a concrete, actionable plan, students with disability will continue to be denied their fundamental right to be safe and supported in school.”
A recent CYDA survey revealed alarming trends highlighted by three in four disabled students being bullied – figures that have worsened since 2022.
The Commission’s Recommendation 7.13 called for a national, coordinated roadmap to inclusive education.
Australian Autism Alliance Co-Chair Jenny Karavalos highlighted that barriers begin early, with pre-school-aged autistic children 10 times more likely to be permanently excluded from childcare.
Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2008, which obliges signatories to ensure inclusive education at all levels.
