Aotearoa Educators Collective (AEC) have released a brief outlining examples of “school-supplied accounts from educators directly involved in documenting learner need, preparing applications, working with whānau, liaising with specialists and responding to the consequences when support is declined.”
AEC said that the new supplementary report to Still Beyond Capacity: Learning Support in Aotearoa After the 2025 Budget highlights that despite funding in the 2025 budget, principals are being declined support when applying for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS).
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Stories shared anonymously for the report included a declined application for a primary-aged learner with autism, likely global developmental delay, “significant safety concerns” and no functional verbal communication.
They were unable to toilet independently, had limited safety awareness and was a flight risk, as well as being unable to independently access the curriculum.
The application for the learner was declined; the report said “the reason given referred to the need for communication and social behaviour challenges that prevent meaningful engagement in learning”.
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Another declined application involved a learner with autism who relied on gestalt language and echolalia, and who could read and write but with no comprehension of meaning.
They were declined support on the basis that “the learner could engage in activities of interest, greet others and respond when prompted, and be present among others when accommodated”.
Lead Author, Dr. Sarah Aiono said, “Budget 2025 promoted itself as the fix to schools being able to access ORS for learners with the highest need.
“Principals celebrated that more learners would be getting the support they needed to be successful at schools, however, 12 months on principals are seeing no change. Applications are continuing to be declined.”
“ORS provides certainty of resourcing for learners, parents, and schools. This allows schools to confidently employ Support Staff knowing that they can offer them a permanent role and invest in their development as a professional.
“However, what was reported from some principals is that they no longer submit applications, even where significant need is obvious, because of the time required to complete the application and the likelihood of it being declined.”
“Across the examples gathered, schools describe learners’ significant learning, communication, sensory, developmental, behavioural, personal care and safety needs. Many require full time adult support to access learning, communicate, participate socially, manage transitions, regulate emotions, remain safe or manage toileting and personal care.
“Despite this, applications are still being declined.“
The report shares 10 experiences from schools in the last 12 months, all of which shows the same pattern, the AEC said, that schools are documenting significant and ongoing need, while decline reasons focus on isolated skills or brief moments of participation.
“The stories also show that a declined application does not remove the need.
“Rather, responsibility is shifted back onto schools and whānau. Schools continue to fund teacher aide support from operational grants and local budgets. Teachers continue to manage complex needs in classrooms.”
