IHC New Zealand says although NCEA achievement rates for students with intellectual disability are rising, overwhelmingly there is a massive struggle for these students to access quality education at their local school.
Today, 24 January, marks International Day of Education – a day in which the United Nations has dedicated to celebrating the role of education for peace and development.
However, IHC Inclusive Lead Education Trish Grant says today isn’t a day for celebration, and without an overhaul of Aotearoa’s education system the country will continue to fail to meet our human rights obligations.
“We are heading in the right direction, but we need to ramp up the pace in order to mitigate the current risks of low achievement and attendance,” says Trish. “Education is a foundational right to being able to live as a contributing and included citizen.”
A newly released report from IHC reveals the number of intellectually disabled people with qualifications is increasing – 43 percent of intellectually disabled people aged 25 to 34 have no qualifications compared to 76 percent of intellectually disabled people in the 65 to 74 age group.
The 2022 Ero report reflects the grim situation with poor student outcomes and low teacher confidence to teach diverse learners
Also, promisingly, intellectually disabled children attend early childhood at similar rates to other children (94 percent of both populations).
Trish says the data points to some good news, however participation rates don’t always mean an inclusive quality education.
“There is a great opportunity here to make some tangible change for the children of today.
“We are looking forward to working with the new Government on lifting achievement for all students, including disabled students.”
About IHC New Zealand
IHC New Zealand advocates for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities and supports them to live satisfying lives in the community. IHC provides advocacy, volunteering, events, membership associations and fundraising. It is part of the IHC Group, which also includes IDEA Services, Choices NZ and Accessible Properties.
About IHC’s Stand and Action on Education
All students with a disability have a human right to attend their local school, feel welcome and included, have access to the curriculum and fair outcomes from a quality education.
For too long, disabled students have been disadvantaged by an education system that does not include them.
In 2008, after decades of work with the Ministry of Education to solve the problems, IHC lodged a complaint under the Human Rights Act 1993. Initially the case had to go through the Human Rights Commission and government lawyers applied to “strike-out” key aspects of the IHC case. We had a hearing in the Human Rights Review Tribunal in 2015.
After five years, at the end of 2020, the Human Rights Review Tribunal handed down its decision and dismissed the Crown’s “strike-out” arguments. This means the discrimination experienced by students with disabilities in education can now be heard by human rights experts.
Early in 2021 the Director of the Office of Human Rights Proceedings agreed to provide legal representation to IHC. He thinks the way in which disabled students experience discrimination in their access to education is a serious matter of great public interest. The Director has said he wants to talk with government about what they could do to better protect disabled students from discrimination at school.
