On 29 October, CYDA signed a joint Open Letter to Victorian Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gabrielle Williams MP.
The letter is reproduced below.
Disability, education and community sector organisations are calling on the Victorian Government to reverse cuts to the Disability Inclusion program due to take effect from the beginning of 2027.
These cuts will reduce vital support for thousands of students with disability.
Disability Inclusion is an integral part of Victoria’s education system, and something we can be proud of. More than 90% of Disability Inclusion Profile meetings have included student voice, giving students with disability a say in the support they need at school.
We acknowledge the Government is delivering on commitments made in the 2026 Budget to support students with disability, but the funding does not meet the level of need.
Currently around 45,000 students with disability receive individual support through Disability Inclusion. This funds the critical education support staff, specialist staff and professional development that enables students with disability to access and participate in education.
The cuts include:
- 6000+ students losing all their individual funding over the next two years.
- Funding cuts of $850 per term for around 23,000 students in mainstream schools.
- A 2.5 per cent reduction in student-level funding rates, impacting all schools.
These changes mean tens of millions of dollars being cut from Victorian schools.
Students with disability already face significant barriers to accessing and participating in education. Cutting funding that is already inadequate will only deepen those barriers.
The consequences will be felt across the education system:
- Students with disability losing critical support, putting their learning, inclusion and ability to attend school at risk.
- More pressure on teachers and schools, increasing workloads and the risk of staff leaving an already stretched workforce.
- Thousands of education support staff jobs put at risk.
- Students and families having reduced choice.
- Families left to fill the gaps, with parents and carers, particularly mothers, forced to cut back work or leave the workforce entirely if schools cannot support children.
These cuts will be felt immediately in Victorian classrooms, but their impact will extend far beyond school, affecting the lifelong opportunities of children and young people with disability.
Students with disability need more support, not less. We call on the Victorian Government to reverse these cuts and maintain the funding thresholds for Disability Inclusion.
At the very least, the Victorian Government should pause this decision and provide schools with full funding for the 2027 school year and undertake a review to ensure students with disability receive the support they need.
The following organisations are signaroties to the Letter:
- Association of Children with Disabilities
- Amaze
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- I CAN Network
- Youth Disability Advocacy Service
- Anglicare Victoria
- Autism Valued Inc.
- Berry Street Yooralla
- Brainwave
- Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
- Charge Syndrome Australia
- Deaf Children Australia
- Deaf Victoria
- Different Journeys
- Down Syndrome Victoria
- Dyslexia Victoria Support
- Early Childhood Intervention Australia VIC/TAS
- Heads Together
- HeartKids
- Learning for Life
- Mallee Family. Care
- Noah’s Ark
- Parents Victoria
- Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention
- Villa Maria Catholic Homes
- Victorian Student Representative Council
- Windermere
- Yellow Ladybugs
For more information or further comment, please contact CYDA:
Email: media@cyda.org.au
Phone: 03 9417 1025