Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt has called for the additional commitment of dollars for school counsellors in the Federal Government’s 2014 Budget to be reversed and redirected, for the sake of fairness, to funding students with disabilities in schools.
 
“No one in the school education sector was asking for additional school counselor funding. No parent, teacher, principal or school employer.” Mr Watt said.
 
“While school counselors have an important role to play there is an unequivocal unmet need for some of our most vulnerable children.” 
 
As Stephanie Gotlib, CEO of Children with Disability Australia stated as recently as 12 May; 
 
A typical school experience for students with disability involves limited choice of school, discrimination, bullying, limited or no funding for support and resources, inadequately trained staff and having to contend with a culture of low expectations 
 
“We can and we must do better for these children and their families,” Mr Watt said.
 
The IEUA will now call on Senators to amend Budget provisions to redirect funding to these students.