The sMAG (School Music Action
Group, Victoria) welcomes the recent release of The Education State: Review
of the Program for Students with Disabilities report (the PSD Report): a most comprehensive approach to perhaps some of
the most profoundly challenging,
sometimes controversial dilemmas, cultures and big issues in local, national
and international education communities. sMAG was delighted to embrace the opportunity
to prepare a submission to this most important review. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/PSD-Review-Report.pdf . Further, we welcome the
2016 -17 Victorian Budget and the clear commitment to put financial support
behind this important sector. While our
interest group is Music education specific, the 25 broad and overarching
recommendations, if implemented, will benefit all education delivery throughout
Victoria and support any learning program for students with disabilities. You would understand, we believe the
inclusion of Music Education directly for students with disabilities will only
enhance their development.
We welcome the inclusivity
within your documentation – clearly stated on page 37;
The goals relate to all students,
including those with disabilities. The targets recognise that education is
about more than traditional academic pursuits and includes excellence in the arts, critical thinking,
resilience, creativity, and health and wellbeing. These targets raise
expectations for all students, including students with disabilities.
The Education State agenda focuses on
inclusion and collective responsibility and stems from the belief that with the
right support, every student can succeed.
We acknowledge that the PSD
Review was thorough. The formation of
expert advice and guidance groups; commissioning a number of wide-ranging
literature reviews; conduct of a number of in-person consultations with stakeholders; and
submissions to online submissions and survey from a wide sector of the
community were received. All contributed to more fully inform the appraisal of politically,
economically, environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable law,
public policy and procedures, and professional practices to support the education of children
and young people with special needs in the State of Victoria.
The PSD Report acknowledged some of the local,
national and international instrumentalities, implementation bodies,
procedures, human rights and justice mechanisms. Instrumentalities, bodies, procedures, human
rights and justice mechanisms have, over time, advanced notions of inclusivity, integration and normalisation
of these children and young
people in education systems.
The PSD
Report is the most recent of many such appraisals of law,
public policy and procedures, and professional practice in Victoria since the
mid 1980s, which is absolutely fundamental to the education of these children and young people. Gains
over the past three decades have not been made without engaging in, sometimes
fierce, contests of ideas. So, the PSD Report pondered: where we have come from?
First, the PSD Report acknowledged benefits to all
students and broader society; reported on an inequitable exposure to, and
patchy quality of special education; detailed various funding sources; and
advocated for optimum funding and governance arrangements. Indeed, the PSD
Report
highlighted exemplary programs in several school settings in Victoria that
embrace notions of inclusivity,
integration and normalisation of these children and young people.
Second, the PSD
Report acknowledged that, by definition, contexts of the
local and national curriculum,
assessment and reporting frameworks are fraught. The PSD
Report
articulated support for a cohesive and inclusive approach to frameworks that
have a full focus on needs and interests of children and young people with special needs.
Third,
the PSD Report considered the profound and complex challenge of
workforce capability, i.e., training of classroom teachers and specialist
teachers, allied health professionals and education support staff who work in
the special education sector.
Now, where we are going?
There is cause for cautious optimism. sMAG congratulates the Honourable
Minister on the positive response to the PSD
Report that works toward politically, economically, environmentally,
socially and culturally sustainable law, public
policy and procedures, and professional practices to support children and young people with special
needs in the Victorian education system.
sMAG is delighted that the PSD Report considered some of these most
profoundly challenging,
sometimes controversial dilemmas, cultures and big issues. sMAG welcomes the many press
releases and budget documents that direct funding sources to further support
these dilemmas, cultures
and big issues. The common mission and vision of quality education for all is a tough gig. But, with the profound challenges, there
are profound opportunities in equal measure.
For example, the PSD Report noted
that statutory local and national curriculum, assessment and reporting
authorities have recently begun to develop a
continuum of extended rubrics with descriptors of development and learning in all learning areas. Children
and young people with special needs can thus work toward development and
learning described in respective Foundation Levels. sMAG implores the Honourable Minister to take
courage to facilitate further collaborative development of a cohesive and
inclusive approach to frameworks that include a full focus on needs and
interests of children and young people
with special needs, particularly in the context of several reviews into schools
music education in recent years 1, 2, 3.
The profound and complex
challenge of workforce capability, i.e., training of classroom teachers and
specialist teachers, allied health professionals and education support staff
who work in the special education sector was also considered in the TEMAG Final Report (Australian
Government, 2015) 4. sMAG implores the Honourable Minister to take
courage to facilitate further collaborative development of workforce capability
in this sector, in particular with relevant Federal government colleagues.
REFERENCES
1.
Henley, D (2011). The
Importance of Music: A National
Plan for Music Education. London: Department for
Education/Department for Culture, Media and Sport. PDF retrieved 01.05.2016 from
.
2. Parliament of Victoria
(Education and Training Committee) (2013). Inquiry
into the extent, benefits and
potential of music education in Victorian schools. Melbourne: Victorian
Government Printer. PDF retrieved 01.05.2016 from
.
3. Pascoe, R., Leong, S.,
MacCallum, J., Mackinlay, E., Marsh, K., Smith, R (Bob)., Church, T.,
Winterton, A. (2005). National Review of
School Music Education: Augmenting the Diminished. Canberra: Department of Education,
Science and Training. PDF retrieved 01.05.2016 from
.
4.
Australian Government, 2015. TEMAG
Final Report. Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers. Canberra, Australian
Capital Territory: author. PDF retrieved 01.05.2016 from <http://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-education-ministerial-advisory-group>.
