We need a disability royal commission

Dr David Roy

By Dr David Roy
Community contribution / April 15, 2019

Every few months the political clarion call goes out for another Royal Commission, however the agreement in parliament to legislate for one into abuse of people with a disability is different – and will have far reaching impacts for education if it is enacted.

In 2015, a senate inquiry called for such a Royal Commission, and previously voices were being raised of the need ...

Graduate Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant

Teaching - Primary / May 17, 2026

Inclusion Teacher with TLR - Primary SEND Provision

Veritas Burnley

Teaching - Primary / May 17, 2026

KS2 Academic Tutor

Teaching - Primary / May 16, 2026

By Dr David Roy

Community

Dr David Roy is a lecturer and researcher in Education and Creative Arts at the University of Newcastle (AUS); and was formerly a teacher for 17 years. He uses his research to inform inclusion and equity practices across Australia, with a particular focus on children with a disability, policy, and engagement with the Arts. Working closely with politicians and policy makers across all political persuasions, he has been instrumental in progressing the NSWDoE Suspension Policy, as well as highlighting educational issues in NSW Budget Estimates. His research interests are in education policy, arts learning, and inclusion in Education. He was nominated for the 2006 Saltire/TES Scottish Education Publication of the Year, ‘The Educational Publishing Awards Australia Tertiary (Wholly Australian) Teaching and Learning – blended learning 2020’ and the ‘Drama Victoria Best New Australian Publication 2020’ and he won the 2013 Best New Australian Publication for VCE Drama and/or VCE Theatre Studies. It was. He was awarded as a ‘Most Influential Educator 2022 (Australia)’ and the 2022 University of Newcastle CHSF Leadership Award. His most recent texts are 'Teaching the Arts: Early Childhood and Primary (2025) published by Cambridge University Press; and 'The Inclusive Teacher (2025) published by Routledge.

Similar news

School news / Independent schools welcome final Disability Royal Commission report School news / Disability royal commission told of severe violence and bullying in schools School news / Teachers can make a difference to students with a disability, royal commission hears

Latest comments

Jane Caro is not qualified and has no idea what she is talking about.Nothing new . She knows little about economics ...

— John Connors on ‘Reverse Robin Hood’: Jane Caro Lashes Australia's Unfair School Funding Model

Top events

Opinion / Why more diagnoses won’t fix what’s happening in Australian classrooms

Walk into any school staffroom in Australia and ask what has changed over the past decade and the answer is strikingly consistent.

School news / Canvas breach: Australian schools the likely target of sophisticated phishing scams

In the wake of the Canvas data breach, Australian teachers and school leaders should now brace for an imminent wave of highly targeted phishing scams aimed at their communities, a cyber safety expert has warned.

School news / ‘We took out all the group work’: school’s instructional shift lifts literacy outcomes

Before one small regional Victorian school overhauled its approach to teaching English, there was a lot of ‘busy work’ underway in lessons – but not necessarily much actual learning happening.

School news / Concern grows as Budget targets ‘inappropriate’ disability funding for schools

Described by the Albanese Government as ‘ambitious’ yet grounded in ‘responsible’ economic management, the 2026/27 Budget cracks down on the tax treatment of housing and trusts, and delivers new tax sweeteners to workers – but what’s in it for sch...

School news / Canberra teen accused of planning racist terrorist attack

A teenager has been charged with terror offences over allegations he was planning a terrorist attack motivated by nationalist and racist extremism.

School news / Google’s ‘teacher approved’ badge on kids’ apps is problematic: study

Google is using ‘ambiguity by design’ to conceal the legitimacy of its ‘teacher approved’ apps for children under 13, researchers have discovered.

School news / ‘Extremely difficult’: school principal speaks after stabbing

A school principal stabbed in the neck by a teacher who “mentally snapped” after learning his contract would not be renewed has opened up about his ordeal.

School news / Data breach fears for schools and unis grow after suspected ransom note

Names, email addresses and school locations are believed to have been compromised in a global data breach affecting Australian education providers.

School news / Australian teachers let down by flawed critical thinking capability: instructional coach

Australian teachers have been led astray by a prominent general capability in the national curriculum, which is based on the misguided premise that critical thinking can be taught as an abstract skill, a former teacher turned instructional coach h...

School news / Major cyber attack exposes private details of students and school staff

Personal information of Queensland public school students and teachers has been compromised in a massive global data breach affecting millions.

Comments