Budget announcement doesn't address inequalities for vision impaired children
A Government announcement to boost the number of specialist resource teachers supporting vision impaired children will
not be enough to address years of underfunding in the area.
Janet Digby, Project Manager for See Here, a nonprofit organisation set up to advocate for the large numbers of Kiwi
kids with mild and moderate vision impairment, says the funding will not adequately address the existing imbalance for
vision impaired children and their families when accessing support in schools.
Childhood vision impairment is a significant problem in New Zealand, and is thought to affect approximately 10% to 20%
of New Zealand children.
In last Thursday's Budget, the Government announced increases in funding for Resource Teachers: Vision (RTVs) who
provide specialist educational support to blind and vision impaired learners and their families from birth to 21 years
of age, including learners with complex needs.
There are currently 35.5 full time equivalent positions for RTVs in New Zealand. Staffing ratios average one RTV to 37
students. Caseloads are highest in the Wellington region, where there is 1 RTV for every 52 students.
Budget funding will improve this ratio to 1:29 however, this is still far removed from the level of service families can
expect in other developed countries, such as Australia, the US and England (1:12).
Parents of Vision Impaired (NZ) Executive Officer, Paul Manning, himself a parent of a vision impaired child, says the
additional funding is an improvement but still not enough to support children to reach their potential.
"RTVs are one of the available supports in place to give children equitable access to education but there are just not
enough of them to address the need," he says.
Current Special Education policy dictates that RTVs should work with those children classified as having 'moderate'
needs, however high caseloads mean they must prioritise the need of those learners who are blind or who have more
significant vision impairments. As a result, they children classified as having 'moderate' needs miss out on the support
for which they are eligible and which they require.
See Here and Parent of Vision Impaired Children are looking for further changes in policy and staffing provision to
provide appropriate and equitable service for all for learners with vision impairment.
ENDS