While it doesn't affect us directly....

...it does many of my friends, and that is our govts decison to axe funding to Special Needs Schools, for high needs kids. Or should I say instead of finding more funding to pay for teh increased costs of those with disiabilites who are mainstreamed, they have instead taken funding from one sector of special education to pay for the other. This really is flawed logic and pretty much descrimates against sector of the community. Many of the schools are already barely keeping themselves finacially a float and some have had to let important therapists such as OT's and Physios go because they no longer have the funding for their wages. The govt says it wont let these schools close, but unless they plan for these kids to start recieving substandard care, then the only option is for the schools to close..... Now this really isn't an option for many of these kids parents as they work...and in these tough times for many the loss of one parents income to remain at home to look after their high needs child is just not possible. In this time of reccession I feel that the govt has lost focus while trimming the fat out the budget and is forgetting that these kids are people too and deserve just as much respect as every able bodied child and should not be pawns in an education system that is obviously failing. They are kids first, disability second....hopefully some one pulls there head out of the ground soon and sees what a terrible cock up they have made!