SPECIAL EDUCATION 2000 ROADSHOW

Parents, teachers and communities are being given a taste of how the Government's new special education policy Special Education 2000 will benefit them, through a 'roadshow' of meetings over the next fortnight.

The Government has approved the next phase of Special Education 2000 which will see students with special education needs receiving substantially more funding for their schooling next year.

"Teachers and communities are being invited to meetings across the country to get the details of how the extra spending and new initiatives will affect their schools and students," Education Minister Wyatt Creech said.

"I am confident that when communities find out exactly how the new funding will be distributed most will realise their students and schools are going to be a lot better off next year.

"The $134 million of new money set to go into programmes to help students with special education needs will really make a difference to the lives of those students, their teachers and schools and families"

Mr Creech said the Ministry of Education advisors were holding meetings across the country over the next two weeks to explain the detail of Special Education 2000.

Schools will also receive information directly over the next week about how the new Special Education 2000 policy will affect their students.

Mr Creech said the Government was determined to get a policy that would work for students and schools. It will take time to implement but once it is up and running schools will really feel the impact.