We hear you: Listening to the perspectives of families regarding the education and opportunities for children in special school settings

Abstract

This article presents new insights into the views of families regarding the educational opportunities for their children in special school settings. It reports on a study designed to capture the perspectives of families regarding the opportunities to consult and engage with teachers on the education of their child or children with disabilities across special schools in Australia. The methodology provided a framework of investigation critical to the research in this study. Furthermore, a significant body of parental voices was manifested through the study providing a rich bank of perspectives regarding their preferred delivery models of education for their families and children with disabilities. The findings of this study provide deep insights into families' perspectives on curriculum and inclusive programmes that add value to the learning experiences of their children with disabilities in special school settings in Australia. The paper articulates the reasons why an overwhelming majority of parents who completed a large mix methods survey expressed confidence in the expertise of teachers, staff and leaders in the provision of education for students with disabilities in special school settings in Australia. For the first time in recent research in Australia, the voices of parents of students with disabilities are heard, respected and valued through a set of open‐ended questions within a large‐scale survey. A strong call from parents to sustain the provision of special schools in Australia, in keeping with the UN Rights of the Child (1990), is expressed and is supported by evidence elicited from parents in over 300 schools in Australia.