More than 80 jobs provided by the Visiting Teacher Service are set to be slashed by the Labor Government, leaving some of the state’s most vulnerable students at a disadvantage.
The job cuts have been made to the Visiting Teacher Service, a program that provides support to children with hearing, visual, physical, and mental impairments.
The visiting teachers also support students who are severely ill, including pupils with cancer and diabetes.
Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said these cuts were impacting Victoria’s most vulnerable children all for the sake of a minor budget adjustment.
“These jobs cuts are truly unconscionable,” Ms Cleeland said.
“These are children that require the highest level of care in our schools.
“Cutting staff that work tirelessly to assist these students, and the schools they work in, can only have a negative impact.
“Once again, Labor’s financial mismanagement has resulted in essential services being slashed as blown out infrastructure programs continue.”
The 80 staff being made redundant helped an estimated 4000 children with disabilities across the state. Now, just 32 visiting teachers will be expected to fill this void.
“This is going to considerably increase the already excessive workload of our teachers, asking them to look after students with disabilities that they are not trained for,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We already have such extreme staff shortages in our schools, particularly in regional areas, so why is Labor cutting such essential support staff?
“More should be done to encourage and incentivise people to work at our schools, not turn them away.”
Speaking in State Parliament, Member for Eastern Victoria Region Melina Bath said the Premier and the Minister for Education had stooped to new lows by cutting frontline teachers supporting students with disabilities in regional and rural Victoria.
“Children with disabilities must be properly resourced and supported with individualised and inclusive education opportunities.
“Cutting highly trained and skilled education professionals who understand the specific learning challenges of children with special needs experience in the classroom is appalling.”
The job cuts follow the announcement of 325 full time staff in the Department of Education last week. At the time, assurances were made that this would not impact school staff.
