Education is widely recognised as a major direct contributor towards greater social and economic participation and an indirect contributor towards improving wellbeing and the general quality of life. The NDIS Survey collected information about the education level of people with disability and their educational aspirations. We note that by design the sample contains a higher proportion of younger people, principally because of the intention of the NDIS trial to focus only on 0-15 year olds in SA and only on 16-24 year olds in TAS. Also while the other trial sites cover all ages they also include a fair number of younger people.
The proportion of NDIS participants currently studying decreased by eight per cent between wave 1 and 2 (Appendix Table A7.2).
Appendix Table A7.3 shows the type of educational establishment attended by those in education in wave 1 and 2.
In wave 1, most of the children under 16 years attended school; in pre-school/kindergarten (15 per cent), in pre Year 1 primary school (10 per cent) and Primary school Year 1 and above (38 per cent). School attendance of a secondary level or within a special school was at 14 per cent and 10 per cent respectively and five per cent of NDIS participants in education were attending vocational education.
Wave 2 showed an increase in those attending primary school Year 1 and above (from 38 to 48 per cent). This seems to be largely a result of preschool children shifting into the primary school setting. The proportion reporting to be attending secondary school declined, while those attending a special school increased from 10 per cent to 14.6 per cent.
Another indicator of educational participation is whether the study undertaken is full-time or part-time. Almost 90 per cent of those in education in both waves 1 and 2 reported that they were enrolled on a full-time basis (Appendix Table A7.4).
NDIS participants were asked what they would like to do when they completed their education (Appendix Table A7.5). This question was only asked of those who are aged eight years or older. Around a third reported that they would like to work in a job (32 per cent in wave 1 and 28 per cent in wave 2), with 13-15 per cent planning to go to University and four-five per cent to do some further course or training. A quarter (26 per cent) reported in wave 1 that they did not know what they would like to do when they finished their education, and this proportion increased to almost a third of all students (32 per cent) in wave 2.
NDIS participants who were aged 16 years and over and who were not currently in education, were asked if they would like to study. Twenty-three per cent in wave 1 and 20 per cent in wave 2 reported that they would (Appendix Table A7.6). Of those, 38.8 per cent were looking for a course to study in wave 1, a proportion which increased to 51.2 per cent in wave 2 (Appendix Table A7.7).
We asked all those who did not definitively reject the wish to study and who were not presently studying, about what in their view makes it hard for them to study (Figure 7.7).
The most frequently mentioned barrier to educational participation by people with disability was their own health/disability (69 per cent in wave 1 and 65 per cent in wave 2). Other commonly mentioned barriers were lack of opportunities (36 per cent in both waves 1 and 2), difficulties with transport and or parking (37 per cent and 35 per cent respectively), difficulties using facilities or equipment (33 per cent and 31 per cent respectively), and lack of personal supports (32 per cent and 28 per cent respectively).
As little change occurred in the factors regarding what makes it hard for people with disability to study between waves 1 and 2, there is little evidence that these barriers are being overcome.
Figure 7.7 Person with disability: What makes it hard to study? (Trial, Adults)
There is a higher rate of educational participation among the NDIS participants than among the comparison group. However, as with social participation, our estimations did not find a statistically significant impact of the NDIS on the educational activity of people with disability or of their families and carers. From these findings, and as with social participation, we conclude that this evidence will take some time to emerge from the large quantitative data and that for now the best policy guide is the qualitative evidence gathered for this evaluation.
7.3.2 Educational participation of people with disability
An important objective of the NDIS is to also support the capacity of families and carers of people with disability to improve their own education, which can bring direct and indirect benefits to the whole family including the person with disability.
Eleven per cent of the carers of NDIS participants were currently studying in wave 1, 82 per cent of whom were on a part-time basis (Appendix Table A7.8). There was little change in wave 2, save a modest decline in those in part time education.
