Across 10 years from 2008, the national minimum standard in Year 9 reading performance is largely the same and there is an improvement in numeracy. However, there has been a consistent decline in performance for Year 9 in the writing domain from 87.2% (2008) to 82.6% (2013) to 79.7% in 2018.37 If all students are to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens able to live fulfilling, productive and responsible lives, inclusive education is a necessary requirement. Current issues in the Australian education system include: • • • • • • • There is no clear definition of what ‘inclusive education’ means in the Australian context. Educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are poor when compared with their non-Indigenous peers. Children who are part of, or assumed to be part of, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse or intersex populations can face particular difficulties at school, and in the community more generally. Parents of children with disability have reported experiencing some form of difficulty when enrolling their child in a mainstream school.38 A 2017 survey of 771 students with disability, conducted by Children and Young People with Disability Australia, identified that 19% of all respondents had experienced restraint at school, and 21% of respondents had experienced seclusion.39 The Multicultural Youth Australia Census found that discrimination most commonly takes place in education institutions and on the street.40 Data on suspensions and expulsions in government schools are inconsistent and unavailable in some states and territories. According to the 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Young People, Australia performs poorly for overall physical activity levels of children and young people,41 but better than average for participation in organised sport.42 20