Catholic schools demand more government funding for students with a disability after numbers almost double THE number of students with a disability has almost doubled in Queensland Catholic schools over the past six years with many being disadvantaged because of a funding shortfall, a new report warns. "The accepted practice of mainstreaming students with a disability has had an impact on the whole classroom and the total school environment, as well as making heavy demands on teachers," the report states. Almost every teacher at a Queensland Catholic school now has a student with a disability (SWD) or learning difficulty in their class. The report, released today by the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC), identifies a need for not just more, but better targeted and more certain resources. "Current funding arrangements leave students with disability in Catholic schools in Queensland at a significant disadvantage compared with students in government schools, receiving only 59 per cent of the national government school average of $13, 232," the report, written by Australian Catholic University Public Policy Institute executive director Professor Scott Prasser, says. The present arrangements leave funding gaps, with the result that high priority needs are unable to to be met and many individual students are disadvantaged. A general trend to mainstream students with a disability, better survival rates for premature babies, improved diagnosis of disabilities, changing demographics of parents and a funding incentive have been named by Professor Prasser as potential reasons behind a 92 per cent jump in disabled enrolments in the sector from 2217 in 2006 to 4253 last year. Students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder account for 46 per cent of Catholic pupils with a disability, with the report also noting they "also cause the greatest disruption in classes, thus affecting the educational progress of other students." QCEC executive director Mike Byrne acknowledged the jump in SWD numbers mirrored that in other state and school systems and called on Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek to convene a cross-sector group to help schools plan for a future with increasing SWD numbers. Professor Prasser suggested the State Government could establish a pool of resources to be divided proportionally between government and non-government schools for students with a disability as a stop-gap measure, adding the LNP needed to be proactive in the area on a long-term basis. Last year there were 26,540 students with a disability in state schools - 5.3 per cent of enrolments statewide and up from 18,339 in 2006. The QCEC paper will be presented to Mr Langbroek today.