Abstract
Victoria’s education system provides diverse schooling options, including mainstream, religious, independent, and specialist schools for students with disabilities. While specialist schools offer tailored support, their alignment with inclusive education principles remains contested. This study examines parental perspectives on specialist school choice through a qualitative descriptive design, guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory and Epstein’s Overlapping Spheres of Influence. Semi-structured interviews with parents revealed four themes: infrastructure and support, belonging for both students and parents, strength-based learning and educational outcomes, and parental choice and advocacy. Findings indicate that inclusivity is not determined solely by school type but by the extent to which relational and structural supports foster belonging. Parents valued specialist schools as environments that promote inclusion and positive educational outcomes, challenging assumptions that specialist schools undermines social justice. These insights contribute to ongoing debates about inclusive education and highlight the need for nuanced approaches that prioritise belonging and empowerment for all learners.
Presenters
Penny RoundLecturer in Inclusive and Special Education, Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Learner Diversity and Identities
KEYWORDS
BELONGING
