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Kia ora koutou,

Minister thank you for your opening remarks and for your commitment to this work and outcome.

I also want to thank the many disabled students, families and advocates who have worked so hard for this outcome, including those of you here today.

My appointment to Chief Executive of IHC earlier this year has been a big learning curve, one that I am enjoying and getting stuck into. I am grateful for the opportunity to create positive change in people’s lives.

My learning curve has come with some shocks.  

I learnt this week about Fletcher, ten years old, born with Down Syndrome and neuro-disabilities, living in the country with his family and going to the local school.  

“Going”, I say but actually the thing is, that he has only attended school for half of the school year. Half days, half weeks, sometimes not at all for a whole week.

When Fletcher is at school, he is on his own with a teacher aide away from his school mates not learning. So, Fletcher feels excluded, wants to be with the other kids: not understanding why he can’t be, he communicates his distress through his behaviours.

The school say they haven’t got the staffing and resources they need to have him there all day, every day, and they struggle with the decisions they make.

I struggle to understand why in 2025, that these difficulties are still happening for Fletcher, for thousands of other children and young people like him, and for schools.  

Today, I am confident that we, Government and IHC, have a plan and a partnership, to work with the education and disability sectors to make changes to the system that will benefit disabled students and schools.

Its time!  

We as a country need to make progress.  

We can and will do better.

I wouldn’t underestimate the significance of what we are doing here.

We are signing an agreement between government and civil society to resolve a long term intractable policy tension that has unintentionally created hard times for good people on the ground, at schools all over New Zealand.  

Today we can celebrate that this government has agreed to implement IHC’s framework for action.

Thank you, Minister and the Ministry.

This is a reset, a new starting point.

It commits to:

• A six-year action plan
• An accountability mechanism to make sure the plan is progressed
• An opportunity for people with lived experience to monitor progress of the plan.

The work ahead will take time.

System change takes time.

However, today is a huge step forward for children like Fletcher and his school knowing that things are going to be different.

IHC is excited to be partners in the work ahead.

We are excited that those with lived experience of disability and education will also be partners.

Kia kaha, kia manawanui, kia arohanui

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See the media release for this announcement here.