Specialist schools need to be tailored for new regions – Editorial
The announcement of three new specialist schools this year is great – there is no doubt they will help fill an enormous unmet need.
Specialist schools provide tailored support and education for students aged 5 to 21 with significant learning needs such as those with autism, dyslexia, or significant brain trauma from an accident.
But the investment in them is only the first step. The Government, and the people it puts in charge of establishing these schools, need to ensure the facilities are tailored to the unique needs of the regions they are meant to serve.
Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed this week Gisborne would get a specialist school in 2028. It followed announcements for schools in Palmerston North and South Auckland.
This commitment is significant, with a total cost of $20 million expected for the Gisborne school alone. Six specialist classrooms, two attached to existing schools, will cater for up to 54 students.
While the topic of inclusion in mainstream education versus segregation for higher-needs children is still moot, Stanford was clear the Government intended to give parents a choice.
Chrissy Marshall, the unit leader at Northern Health School, welcomed the news but noted while speaking with the Gisborne Herald that the school would need the right staff and the right support.
Northern Health School, which has a branch in Gisborne, provides education to school-aged students who are too unwell to attend their regular school.
David Spraggs, professional leader for Gisborne Kindergarten Association and chairman of Te Hapori Disability Trust, told the Gisborne Herald he saw a need for specialist early learning support.
Nobody right now knows exactly what Gisborne’s specialist school will look like when it is complete.
Gisborne, demographically and geographically, differs from Palmerston North and Drury, South Auckland, where the other new specialist schools are going.
An example of these differences is the East Coast’s widely spread rural populace, separated by weather-stricken roads, or its majority Māori population.
It follows that the needs for a specialist school in each region will be different.
There is still plenty of time for groundwork to ensure these differences are recognised and catered for, using the sizeable funding that has been allocated.
People such as Spraggs or Marshall would have a good idea of what a new specialist school in their region should look like from their experiences working on the ground.
They are examples of potential points of contact for consultation in the regions where these schools will be established.
Taking action on this earlier in the process could help the Government ensure it gets the most out of its investment into these regions.