New Education Agreement would continue trend of exclusion of students with disability

Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) is deeply concerned about the new Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025-2034, which overlooks the needs of students with disability.   

The Agreement, which the Australian government released details about yesterday, fails to address key recommendations made by CYDA in August last year.   

It is slated to replace the current National School Reform Agreement from January 1, 2025, but is still awaiting state and territory sign on.

“This Agreement would essentially sideline an entire cohort of children and young people who deserve equal access to quality education,” said CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore.    

“One in 10 primary and secondary school students in Australia have disability, and yet they are referenced only four times throughout the 38-page, 106-clause document.  

“That is unacceptable for an agreement intended to create a better and fairer education system for all students, not just some.”  

Students with disability are the only priority equity cohort conspicuously excluded from Improvement Measurements, extending to critical areas such as Year 12 attainment and school attendance targets.  

The glaring omission highlights the urgent need to review the Measurement Framework of Schooling in Australia, which currently fails to capture national access, participation, and outcome data for students with disability.   

True educational equity cannot be achieved without specific and measurable goals. 

“The details of this Agreement, coming on the heels of the government’s disappointing response to the Disability Royal Commission, demonstrates a systemic failure to commit to inclusive education,” Ms Kakoschke-Moore said.  

“The voices and needs of students with disability must be at the forefront of our state, territory, and national education policies. We call on all states and territories to not accept this 10-year plan until that is truly the case.   

“The alternative is the continued marginalisation and exclusion of, and discrimination against, children and young people with disability.”  

CYDA welcomes the parties’ agreement to build on efforts to identify student learning needs early and the proposed project to examine school refusal, but stresses governments need to take a more intentional and proactive approach to supporting all students with disability.