IEAG is aiming to change minds, policy and practise so that authentic inclusion can occur. We are working to end discrimination by advocating, at all levels, for systemic change in education policy and practise.
11 October 2023
Read IEAG’s submission here.
5 May 2023
Read IEAG’s submission here.
22 July 2022
Read IEAG’s submission here.
15 April 2022
Read IEAG’s submission here.
30 September 2021
Read IEAG’s submission here.
July 2021
Read IEAG’s submission here.
Jan 2017
Read IEAG's submission here.
Read IHC's submission here.
Nov 2016
Read IEAG's submission to the review.
Read IHC, ACYA, Youthlaw submission here.
July 2013
Following reports that students from lower decile schools did not have equitable access to Special Assessment Conditions for NCEA because of the costs involved in providing expert assessments, NZQA and the Ministry of Education (MOE) commissioned a review. The review looked at equity of access to special assessment conditions, the effectiveness of support provided, the capacity of schools to manage special assessment condition requirements, the efficiency of systems for managing applications and the impact of technology on assessment.
Read IEAG's submission to the review.
Special Assessment Conditions for NCEA can be found on the MOE website.
Read the press release from the MOE that detail the review outcomes.
January 2013
The Education Ammendment Bill (no 4), if passed, will allow the establishment of Charter Schools ( Partnership Schools/ Kura Hourua). IEAG is opposed to the establishment of charter schools on the grounds that this will infringe on children's rights, disadvantage disabled students and compromise NZ's public education system. IEAG's submission details our concerns.
June 2012
Through the Review of Career, Information, Advice, Guidance and Education (CIAGE), the Ministry of Education seeks to find out how best to assist and empower young people to make well-informed future training and career choices, with a particular focus on young people interested in vocational, non-academic career pathways. Read IEAG's submission
June 2012
IEAG supports the MInistry of Education's proposal to close the four remaining Residential Special Schools and focus it's attention on building an intensive wrap-around service for students in their community. Our submission focused on the need for all schools to take responsibilty for all students in their community and that school environments and cultures must be transformed to meet the needs of every learner.
August 2011
As a result of the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Review of Special Education in 2010, a draft Cabinet Paper on a Complaints and Disputes Resolution Process for Schools was prepared by the MOE. IEAG prepared a response to this draft which can be read here
August 2011
In June 2011, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Taskforce released a report "An Agenda for Amazing Children" that made recommendations on the future direction of ECE in New Zealand over the next three to five years. Submission were called for, and IEAG responded that the report needs to focus further on inclusive education to support teacher responsibility for all children and quality teaching for diverse groups of students. Read our full submission here
August 2010
The Education Workforce Advisory Group was tasked by Anne Tolley, Minister of Education, to consider issues facing the teaching profession and examine ways to raise the quality of teaching in New Zealand. The discussion document released in June 2010 called for submissions. IEAG supports the Education Workforce Advisory Group's (EWAG) goal of improving teacher training and our submission highlights ways in which this can lead to an inclusive education system. Read our full submission here
March 2010
In February 2010, the government launched a Review of Special Education and sought feedback from parents, teachers, students, schools and other interested parties.
IEAG submitted a written response to the Special Education Review, and made an oral presentation about our submission to the Associate Minister of Education, Heather Roy. Thank you to all of our members who provided us with ideas and comments for our submission. This link will take you to our submission
Click here to read the Ministry of Education's discussion document online.
November 2009
The Tertiary Education Strategy is the document that describes the Government's strategic direction for tertiary education in the next five to 10 years. It outlines Government's priorities and will guide the Tertiary Education Commission's decisions from 2010 - 2015. IEAG's submission emphasised that disabled people and disability issues need to be included within the Tertiary Education Strategy and the draft document was lacking in this respect. IEAG's submission also included our revision of the draft Tertiary Education Strategy with tracked changes and comments that we believe should be included. It was pleasing to see that the final Tertiary Education Strategy was much more reflective of the rights of disabled students than the draft.
November 2007
The ITE policy review was carried out in 2006/2007 and raised a number of issues about the selection of student teachers into initial teacher education programmes, the quality of programmes offered, the quality of graduates, and the support needed for new graduates as they progress towards full registration.
A consultation document entitled “Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century” was written from the findings of the policy review with 7 propositions for further work.
The IEAG welcomes the Initial Teacher Education Policy Review. We believe that the competencies and attitudes of teachers and their mentors are critical to the successful inclusion of disabled children in the New Zealand education system.
Click here for the IEAG submission
Click here for a review of New Zealand practices in Initial Teacher Education - Morton, M. & Gordon, L. (2006). Inclusive education in Aotearoa: What are we doing in initial teacher education, professional learning and development? Final Report to NZCCS.