Fulfilling Australia's Commitment to Inclusive Education

We all know that inclusive education in Australia is vital for fostering equity, social cohesion, and individual potential among students with disabilities, who comprise approximately 18% of the population (Pettenuzzo, 2024). Diverse education experience promotes positive attitudes, reduces stigma, and enhances outcomes for disabled students in employment and relationships by normalizing disability as human diversity (Aspland & Forbes, 2023).

Australia's commitment stems from legal obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and Disability Standards for Education 2005, which mandate reasonable adjustments for access "on the same basis" as peers (Department of Education, 2025). Alignment with the UN CRPD (Article 24) reinforces this, emphasizing non-discrimination and systemic inclusion to uphold human rights (Australian Alliance for Inclusive Education, 2017).

The 2023 Royal Commission highlighted segregation's discriminatory nature, urging reforms for equitable participation (Centre for Inclusive Education, 2024). 

Evolutionarily, inclusive education shifted from segregation in the mid-20th century to integration post-1970s, influenced by global milestones like the 1994 Salamanca Statement.

https://www.european-agency.org/sites/default/files/salamanca-statement-and-framework.pdf

Australia's 2005 Standards formalized inclusion, with recent advancements including Victoria's $1.6 billion Disability Inclusion program (2020/21), introducing strengths-based profiles and SHARE principles for collaborative support (Victorian Government, 2025). Despite progress, challenges persist, such as micro-exclusion and special schools' retention, prompting calls for full CRPD compliance (Frontiers in Education, 2024).