Budget 2002 - Budget initiative to support special needs students

New funding for best practice research and professional development will help improve learning support for students with special education needs, Associate Education Minister Lianne Dalziel said today.

“I am delighted to announce that Budget 2002 will include $5.2 million in new funding through Vote Education, over four years for professional development and best practice research,” Ms Dalziel said.

“Professional development providers and researchers will work intensively in selected schools in a range of different settings where there are students with special education needs.

“The research will be vital in telling us what education practices in a range of New Zealand settings are improving outcomes for students with special education.

“We want all students to reach their potential and this project will use evidence of best practice to support learning in a range of ways to achieve that. We will be able to see what goes on in the classroom and other special education settings, and this will allow us to evaluate what works best for students with special education needs.

“In order to ensure that we achieve the best results from this work, the Ministry wants to work with parents, teachers, principals and other education providers. This work is important in achieving consistent and proven learning and social outcomes for all children with special needs.

“This approach will be of real value to teachers in all settings as they will be able to call upon best practice models to support positive learning outcomes for their students and also reduce pressure in the classroom,” Ms Dalziel said.

Funding for this project will be $1.07 million in 2002/03, $1.34 million in each of 2003/04 and 2004/05 and $1.4 million in 2005/06.