“IT’S stupid and unfair – all I want to do is go to school.”
They are the words of Williamstown boy Luke Schroder, whose unique case last week caused Education Minister Martin Dixon to return to the parliamentary chamber.
Luke, who is in year 9 and has autism, has been prevented from returning to Williamstown High School in term two after his funding for an integration aide was cut.
Last week in Parliament, state Williamstown MP Wade Noonan called on Mr Dixon to “urgently intervene” to reinstate Luke’s funding for four days of school a week.
“The aide assistance was funded in equal portions by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the school,” Mr Noonan told the house.
“Midway through term one, the school advised Luke and his family that it no longer had the surplus funds available to top up his aide funding.
“When I spoke with staff at Williamstown High School it became abundantly clear to me that Luke deserved and needed to maintain his current level of support.
“This was reaffirmed by the school’s principal, Lisa Sperling, who was quoted in the [Hobsons Bay] Weekly newspaper of 14 March 2012 as saying: ‘I really would like that we did have more support for Luke … what he does need is more one-on-one support in the classroom and we don’t get funding for that’.
“It is clear that Luke’s fate and future now rest firmly in the hands of the minister …”
In an unusual step, Mr Dixon walked back into the parliamentary chamber and told Mr Noonan that he would follow up Luke’s case.
“It is unusual for funding to change mid-stream, or mid-term in this case,” Mr Dixon said.
“Usually there might be changes to levels of funding when students go from primary school to secondary school, but, as I said, I am not aware of a mid-stream funding change.
“I will follow that up and find out why that is happening.”
