Students With a Disability Left Behind Under Cook Labor Government

Liam Staltari MLA
Shadow Minister for Education;
Early Childhood; Disability Services; Heritage
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New evidence showing the poor condition and age of transportables being used as classrooms at WA’s Education Support Centres (ESC) highlights the Cook Labor Government’s wrong priorities in Education.  

Western Australia has 46 Education Support Centres (ESCs), with 28 of them having more than one-third of their classrooms in transportable buildings. In addition, 13 of these Centres rely on transportables for over half of their learning spaces.

One ESC transportable in the northern suburbs had a fungal farm growing under the floor and all soft furnishings within it had to be destroyed.

Some had inappropriate wheelchair access, broken windows, uneven floors and a lack of undercover walkways.

Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari slammed the Cook Labor Government for the sub-standard conditions in which some of WA’s most vulnerable students were being educated.  

He said some of the classrooms contained mould, evidence of white ants, rusted windows, leaking air conditioning and cracking floors in addition to inadequate accessibility issues. 

“ESCs play a vital role in nurturing children with disabilities, and they deserve the same modern, well-maintained facilities as every other school,” he said. 

“It’s totally unacceptable that children with disabilities, and their dedicated teachers and support staff, are left in ageing transportables while their peers in neighbouringschools – often on the same site – learn in modern brick and mortar classrooms. 

“Mould, a lack of appropriate heating and air-conditioning, are some of the conditions children and their teachers are being forced to return to every day.” 

Reports from within the sector show that some of these buildings have been in place for more than 15 years, despite the Education Department stating they were temporary and designed to manage changing enrolment demand.  

Education Support Centres (ESC) offer specialist, intensive support for children living with a disability – offering higher teaching and support staff-to-student ratios and access to additional care. 

Some centres operate independently, while others are co-located with mainstream public schools. 

Mr Staltari said education was being neglected in the same way as health, with buildings falling into disrepair and in urgent need of maintenance and upgrades, while the Government misplaced its priorities by committing $217.5 million to an unwanted racetrack at Burswood.

He said the State Government was failing children with a disability and their families across the board. 

“Beyond these dilapidated facilities, the Education Minister continues to withhold the findings of the landmark review of the School Education Act – completed nearly a year ago,” he said. 

“Parents, teachers and the disability sector contributed to that review in good faith and are now stranded in limbo. 

“The Minister must release the review findings so that the community can continue the conversation on how we can better support students with a disability – including in our Education Support Centres.”
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ENDS 
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Contact: Graham Mason 0419 194 792 

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