Cuts impacting most vulnerable students

CHILDREN with disabilities as well as teachers and schools could be negatively impacted by recent cuts to the Visiting Teacher Service, a local educator warns.

Last week, it was revealed that teachers delivering one on one support to children with disabilities through the Visiting Teacher Service are being made redundant by the State Government.

Visiting Teachers provide leadership for teachers and schools with effective curriculum and pedagogy to support engagement for students with physical disabilities/health impairment, hearing impairment and vision impairment.

According to the Nationals, 117 frontline specialist teaching jobs in regional Victoria employed under the scheme will be slashed to only 32.

The Sentinel-Times also understands that there will only be eight visiting teachers for the South East Victorian region, who will just cater to students with hearing and vision disabilities.

A long-time local educator, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed to the Sentinel-Times how valuable the teachers are as they not only greatly assist the students, but classroom teachers.

“I’ve worked with students who have a disability, and you don’t necessarily know their specific needs,” the educator said.

“The difference between a visiting teacher and other teachers is they have a specific knowledge of that disability, combined with how education works and how a classroom works.

“They work with that child and design a plan that’s going to give them the most access to education.”

The educator fears the cuts will mean the visiting teacher’s knowledge and expertise will no longer be able to be utilised to provide the best outcome.

“They work with the families, they work with the teachers, they work within the school to make sure the child’s integration into the school is a seamless as possible,” they said.

The educator highlighted the service was invaluable when teaching a student with a disability.

“They explained the specifics of that child’s disability and how it’s going to affect their education and provided me with information on how I can make my classroom more accessible for that child.”

Speaking in State Parliament last week, Nationals MP and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Melina Bath blasted the Minister for Education Minister for cutting frontline teachers, calling for the decision to be reversed. 

The Nationals State Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien MP also added the decision was disappointing.

According to the Victorian Government, they are consulting closely with staff on the proposed changes. 

“Since the implementation of the Visiting Teacher program, we have delivered an unprecedented $1.6 billion investment in Disability Inclusion in every Victorian government school. When it’s fully rolled out, the reforms will create up to 1,730 new jobs across the state by 2025,” a Victorian Government spokesperson said.

“This includes 82 Inclusion Outreach Coaches, who do an extremely similar job to the Visiting Teachers - making sure we can support teachers and schools working with students with additional needs.

“To avoid duplication of services, the current Visiting Teacher program based out of regional offices will be scaled back – and we’re supporting teachers in those roles to be redeployed into school-based positions.”