A WILLIAMSTOWN teenager who wants to return to school has been forced to stay home because of lack of government funding.
With term 2 under way, Luke Schroder, who is classed as ‘high functioning’ on the autism spectrum, is yet to learn if he will receive funding for an integration aide.
As reported by the Weekly last month, Luke’s mother, Raelene MacDonald, said the Education Department had halved funding for her son’s classroom support, saying, “Luke needs to learn to be independent”.
She wants Luke to continue at Williamstown High School. The school had pulled money from its budget so Luke, 15, could attend the mainstream school four days a week. But it can no longer afford to top up Luke’s funding after the state government slashed $40,000 from the school’s Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning program.
Ms MacDonald said she refused to let Luke attend school without support, particularly after a psychologist’s report stated that to do so would be “unethical”.
“He worries constantly as to whether we are going to win or lose, asking at least once a day what we are going to do if the Education Department doesn’t help us, ” Ms MacDonald said.
“I’m still hopeful that justice will prevail and the department will finally realise that it’s a necessity for Luke to have a full-time aide to have any sort of success at school.
“I am going to fight to the end – this is all my son has.”
In primary school, Luke had an aide for 20 hours a week.
His aide funding was cut to two days and 12 minutes when he entered high school.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said it was unacceptable for the issue to remain unresolved.
“All Luke’s family are asking is that he receives the same level for the entire year; I think that’s reasonable,” he said.
Department spokeswoman Jane Metlikovec said Luke’s case was being assessed as a matter of urgency.
