COVID-19 has impacted all students however it has affected students with disability disproportionately to students without disability, and the impacts are still being felt by students and schools around the country.
The Independent sector has noted that it will take schools some time to return to ‘business as usual’ including improving student outcomes, addressing mental health and wellbeing concerns, and transitioning students with disability back to face-to-face learning.
It is vital that schools, systems, and governments act on the lessons learned during the pandemic. This includes providing schools with prompt information and support for enacting health mandates and government directives, particularly in relation to students with disability.
However, the pandemic also presents an opportunity for schools and systems to examine the ways in which students with disability benefited from remote learning and how those learnings can be incorporated into practice.