Review the information available on the government website https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/
policies/pd-2005-0243 in particular, read the Summary of Inclusive Education for students with disability policy
that can be found on the website. There will be a link in the Assessment 2 folder.
– Select one of the seven roles and responsibilities to focus on for your position paper.
13
– Identify which educational setting you will focus on.
– Review the resources in the vUWS Assessment 2 folder.
– Undertake your own research about the current issues, challenges, and possibilities in Australia in relation to
the implications for inclusive education in this role/responsibility. Investigate examples of best practices.
– Write a statement, that reflects your position on the selected role/responsibility, and then justify your position by
elaborating on the key issues, referencing the literature to support your argument. Write two recommendations
that align with your position statement and justification.
– Check that your position, justification, and recommendations align. Is the argument logical, credible, and based
on evidence?
– When undertaking your research ensure your references are current, mostly Australian; relevant to your context; and peer-reviewed literature and not websites. It is wise to reference your text.
– Remember this is not an opinion piece, it is a formal position paper responding to policy, which will be read by the relevant Departmental officers, and consequently it should have a succinct and formal tone.
A good starting point is to reflect on some of these questions as you explore the complexities of your
response:
– How does the role/responsibility influence the implementation of inclusive education?
– Why should we care about the role/responsibility?
– How realistic are the roles and responsibilities, do they go far enough, or do they go too far?
– What are some of the underlying issues and barriers to achieving this role/responsibility?
– How likely is it that the achievement of the role/responsibility will influence the way children/students with
disabilities and their families experience inclusive education?
– How do the issues or barriers influence the achievement of the role/responsibility?
– What does the research say might ameliorate these barriers? What can we learn from international practices?
– What other measures and mechanisms will promote the inclusion of children/students with disability in education and learning?
Lastly, a word about why we have asked you to write a position paper. Yes, it is true as a graduate teacher you may not be asked to write a position paper. However, as a leader in the community and an advocate for individuals with disabilities, you must be able to communicate your ideas. In your career, you will also be asked to contribute to discussions and working groups. For instance, your team may be asked to decide how you will respond to changing policies and procedures. It is important that as a graduate you can critically analyze the literature and synthesise information to present your ideas in a logical and thoughtful way.
