QPEC Seminar on Special Education

1 April 2007

QPEC Seminar on Special Education
Tuesday 3rd April 2007

QPEC has organised a one-day seminar to give parents and parent organisations the opportunity to speak out about special education services for children with special needs.

The seminar is being held two years on from the major review of services conducted by the Ministry of Education which was designed to produce a national plan which would see better delivery of services to children with special education needs.

Has this happened?

Anecdotal evidence suggests it has not but the seminar will give a more objective view. One worrying statistic is that the actual amount spent on special education services has fallen by 3.49% between 2001 and 2006 while the actual education spending in schools has increased by more than 20%. The seminar will look more closely at resourcing.

Participants are being asked to address these three key questions –

1. Are the current policies meeting the needs of children, parents and schools?
2. What changes in policy are needed to meet any needs identified in 1 and 2 above? and
3. What changes in resourcing are needed to meet any needs identified in 1 and 2 above?

The draft agenda for the day is as follows –

QPEC Seminar on Special Education
Tuesday April 3
St Columba Centre, Vermont Street, Ponsonby

9:30am morning tea of scones and tea/coffee
10am Welcome and brief overview of the day (Linda Williams)

Session 1
Identifying the problems
10.05am Christel van Baalen - Auckland Down Syndrome Association
10.10am Sandy Bowmar - Teenadders
10:15am Andrea Ford - Children’s Autism Foundation
10:20am Alan and Jill Hounsell – Special Needs Action Group
10:25am Gill Smith - Mt Albert Dyslexic Support Group
Questions and Statements from Parents
10:40-11:10am

Teachers Unions
11:10am Karen Whibley - NZEI
11:20am Judie Allison - PPTA
Questions
11:20am-11:50am

Summary of Main Points from Session 1
11:50am - 12pm Liz Gordon

Lunch 12-12:30pm

Session 2
12:30pm Barbara Disley - Group Special Education (Ministry of Ed)
Questions
12:40-12:50pm

12:50pm Sue McKinnon - IHC
1pm Denise Gledhill - Health and Disability Advocate
1:10pm Liz Gordon - researcher
Questions
1:20pm-1:30pm

Summary of Main Points from Session 2
1:30-1:40pm John Minto - Chairperson QPEC

Session 3
1:40pm Proposing solutions led by Liz Gordon and John Minto

Afternoon Tea 3pm

Summary of Main Points from Session 3
3:15pm Presented and discussed
3;30pm End

ALL PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AND ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IS WELCOME TO ATTEND.

ends

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