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Other work that will support better education outcomes for those with disabilities and learning support needs include:

  • Building knowledge on the right to enrol and receive education: We will work with education and disability sector groups, and parent groups, to build the knowledge and understanding of boards of trustees and school leaders regarding the rights of children and young people who are disabled or need learning support to enrol in and receive an education from their local school.

  • Building teacher confidence and capability: We will focus on teacher education and professional learning and development to improve teaching practice to support children and young people with learning support needs.

  • Wellbeing: We are building on existing programmes to improve supports that safeguard and promote wellbeing, bullying prevention and mental health. These supports will reflect a Māori world view of wellbeing, and respond to the barriers to wellbeing experienced by Māori in the education system including stigma, discrimination and racism.

  • Improved data and information sharing: We will work to bring individual learners’ information together in one place, allowing a view of the educational needs of children and young people at a school, community and national level. The design of a data infrastructure will uphold the rights of all children and young people, families and whānau.

  • Getting the network right: There are opportunities to take a more strategic and planned approach to the overall network of education provision including learning support; that is, the range of types of education provision available to parents and whānau in each area and region, from classrooms in local schools, Māori-medium settings, to satellite units, special schools, residential schools, and at-risk and other learning support facilities.

  • Transitions into school and pathways out of school: We will identify and address gaps so that support and funding remain uninterrupted as children move from early childhood education into school. We will also work to ensure that young people with learning support needs and disabled young people in secondary school have appropriate supports to facilitate access to flexible and targeted pathways.