A coalition of 19 leading Australian disability organisations is calling for all candidates in the coming federal election to “show real leadership” by committing to a national roadmap for inclusive education.

The group said there is an urgent need for a “clear, timely and evidence-based plan” to transform Australia’s education system so that every student is genuinely included and supported to succeed.  

“Inclusive education is not negotiable,” Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore said. 

“But without a concrete and actionable plan to address systemic barriers in Australia, students with disability will continue to be denied their fundamental right to be safe and included at school.

“It’s time for every candidate that cares about children and young people to come to the table, to pledge to a national roadmap, and to make sure the Federal Government guides and supports states and territories on timely implementation.”  

The Disability Royal Commission recognised the urgent need for a roadmap in recommendation 7.13 of its final report, released in 2023.   

While the Federal Government and all states and territories accepted this need ‘in principle’, to date there have been no clear steps toward implementation or to phase out segregated education as outlined in recommendation 7.14.

Crucially, none of the Royal Commission’s recommended reforms, including the Roadmap, have been backed by funding, nor has there been sufficient commitment to ensure full public school funding is directed toward making schools truly inclusive.

“What we have unfortunately seen in the 18 months since the Royal Commission is an unwillingness to commit to real change to the education system,”  Youth Disability Advocacy Network CEO Isabella Choate said.  

“What message does that send to the many disabled children and young people who took the time to share their experiences of exclusion, segregation, and bullying at school with the Commissioners?  

“This delay on meaningful action is just not good enough, and I think that’s something most electoral candidates would agree on. It’s time for leadership on inclusive education.” 

CYDA’s recent youth education survey showed that rates of bullying and school exclusion of disabled students have significantly worsened since 2022.

Back in 2023, CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore, pictured above left, said she was looking forward to working closely with government on policy and programs after $11.2 million in federal money was injected into 17 disability representative organisations over four years.

Meanwhile, evidence shows all students experience better learning, social, behavioural, and physical development outcomes when they are taught in truly inclusive settings. 

Australia committed to inclusive education when it ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) nearly two decades ago in 2008.  

Article 24 of the UNCRPD requires signatories to guarantee an inclusive education system at all levels and to provide accommodations and individualised support for students with disability. 

Australian Autism Alliance (AAA) Co-chair Jenny Karavalos said with education being the key to life chances, all education settings should be inclusive and provide the same rights, choices, and opportunities for all.

“Yet the barriers start at an early age with pre-school-aged Autistic children 10 times more likely to be permanently excluded from childcare,” she said.

“There is a desperate need for a national roadmap that provides for safe, quality and evidenced-based inclusive design learning standards to remove harm and so that we do not limit the contribution of Autistic people to the workforce.”

While recent news of additional funding for public schools under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement  2025-2034 is welcome, it is severely undermined by an overall lack of inclusion and accessibility measures. 

The coalition of organisations said any meaningful National Roadmap for Inclusive Education should include inclusion as a core part of teacher training, professional development for teachers to adapt the curriculum for diverse learners and tracking progress with better data.

There should also be definitive rules for reasonable adjustments in schools and a clear right for all students to be included in their local school and to learn together in the same classroom as their peers.

In a joint statement, the group said inclusive education is not an optional ideal but a fundamental human right. It must be an urgent priority, they said, for all candidates in the election. 

Down Syndrome Australia (DSA) CEO Darryl Steff said it is unacceptable in 2024 that Australia continues to have no clear plan towards an inclusive education system.

“Students are currently all too often denied the opportunity to learn and grow alongside their peers,” he said.

“Failing to commit to ending education segregation means students will continue to be impacted for generations.”

“We know that students in segregated settings overwhelmingly go on to be workers in segregated settings – segregated education leads to segregated employment.”

Family Advocacy (FA) executive officer Cecile Sullivan Elder said all children learning, growing, and developing into young adults together through a genuinely inclusive education system is far too long overdue.

“We cannot leave the efforts required for change to chance as too many children and young people will continue to be collateral damage to this,” she explained

“To work towards making this a reality so every student has the support they need to thrive, … [we want] stronger oversight to ensure schools meet inclusion standards, more funding for early childhood and schools that improve inclusion, and better pathways into higher education.”

 The 19 organisations calling for a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education are: