Brian Smyth King

Brian Smyth King is Director, Disability Programs, NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) and has statewide responsibility for special education. Brian oversees strategic planning and development for special education within the NSW public school system, a system that in 2008 caters for more than 33,000 students who have confirmed disabilities enrolled on regular and special classes.

Recent initiatives overseen by Brian include implementing the Government's Special Education Initiative 2005 - 2007, developing and implementing strategies stemming from DET's introduction of the Standards for Education underpinning the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, implementing the Learning Assistance Program, and implementing the Department's response to the Auditor-General's 2006 performance audit of special education: Educating Primary School Students with Disabilities.

Brian participates regularly in the wider education community through Board membership of a number of education, training, university and research organisations. He is a regular contributor to education publications.

In 2005 he completed a project for the World Bank in Sri Lanka entitled 'Strengthening Special Education by Creating Inclusive Schools'.