Mr. John Kearney:

We are into a pathway there in terms of the development of the quality of special education delivery in this country. I have been out and about to schools and have been managing and leading schools for the vast majority of my professional career. I already know there is a lot of quality engagement and enhancement in terms of integration between the special class and mainstream schooling and more of that needs to be enhanced and developed going forward. The international perspective, and as a nation we have subscribed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will put tremendous obligations on us in time but we have a very significant journey to travel in terms of resource development and cultural development of schools and specific supports being provided. It is well down the road in terms of delivering on that requirement and vision. For now, in regard to the special schools that have been developed and created, there is a very specific target need for those schools in terms of offering support. A progressive pathway needs to be developed towards inclusive education but we are talking about decades rather than years with a view to achieving and delivering on that.