Students with disability continue to be excluded, bullied, and denied meaningful support at school almost two years after the Disability Royal Commission called for urgent reform.
A new national report, Disillusion and Delay, draws on recent surveys of nearly 400 disabled students and parents or caregivers conducted by Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA), the University of Melbourne, and the University of New South Wales.
It describes ongoing systemic failures across Australia's education system, including widespread bullying and exclusion, ineffective support plans, under-trained teachers, and a lack of inclusive culture.
"Students with disability, and their families, are telling us the same thing they've said for years, and yet nothing has changed," said CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore.
"We continue to hear stories of young people who have been savagely bullied or excluded, unfairly suspended, physically restrained, or forced out of school entirely because the system failed to support them.
"These frequent incidents are symptoms of a system that wasn't designed with inclusion in mind and remains so despite the path forward being clear."
According to CYDA's report, 73% of disabled students were bullied in 2024, while three in five parents said their child had been subjected to physical, psychological, social, or cyberbullying.
A majority of students (61%) said they weren't involved in creating the Individual Education Plans (IEPs) schools are supposed to develop to support them, with many parents describing their IEPs as superficial and rarely put into practice.
University of Melbourne researcher Dr Catherine Smith said the message for governments was clear.
"This is just more evidence for why governments need to take the recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission seriously," she said.
"There are clear, evidence-informed strategies – identified both by the Royal Commission and by the voices of parents and young people in these reports – that can be implemented now to address persistent barriers in inclusion.
"We hope this brings renewed focus to the practical work that must be done to support schools and teachers in making inclusive education a lived reality for all students." The Disability Royal Commission echoed the sector's call for a National Roadmap for Inclusive Education and the phasing out of segregated education when it handed down its recommendations in September 2023.
It built on three decades of research showing all students – disabled and non-disabled alike – experience stronger academic, social, and developmental outcomes when they can learn and grow together.
But to date, no clear timelines have been implemented, and government investment continues to prioritise segregated settings over reforms to make mainstream schools genuinely inclusive.
In late June, the Queensland Government ignored warnings from families, advocates, educators, and human rights experts by announcing plans to build six new special schools in the state.
"Future generations cannot afford for governments to go backwards on this," Ms Kakoschke-Moore said.
"Being serious about inclusion means listening to the expert advice and taking bold, decisive action. The research is there, and now we need the political will."
Since 2010, CYDA has conducted education surveys every two years to get a sense of what school is like for disabled students and their families or caregivers.
This year's findings differ little from its 2023 report, although some measures – like prevalence of bullying – have worsened.
CYDA is calling for urgent national action, including the development of a roadmap for Inclusive Education, consistent IEP standards, and stronger training and support for teachers.
Key findings from the Disillusion and Delay report include:
1. Bullying and exclusion are the norm
- Nearly three in four students with disability (73%) reported being bullied in 2024, while 72% said they had been excluded from activities and events
- Three in five parents said their child was subjected to physical, psychological, social, or cyber bullying – or had been excluded (57%)
2. Support plans are failing to meaningfully deliver –
- Fewer than two in five students (39%) were involved in shaping their Individual Education Plan (IEP) in 2024
- 72% of parents or caregivers said their child had an IEP, but many described them as lacking personalisation or effective execution in the classroom
3. Teachers lack training and time
- Nearly half of students felt teachers and staff lacked adequate knowledge and training to support them
- More than one in four (26%) of parents said the same
4. A lack of supportive culture
- Only about a third of students (36%) felt their school embraced inclusivity
- Roughly one in two parents or caregivers (52%) felt their child was not made to feel welcome at school
You can access the full report and survey analysis here.
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