The Education Review Office has found "disabled learners are being let down time and time again", and is calling for action.
The education watch dog wants an independent complaints body and says there should be investigation and action when schools persistently fail to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
New research it's released reveals one in five parents are discouraged from enrolling their disabled child at a local school, and one in four for early childhood.
A quarter of parents are asked to keep their disabled child home from school.
The report also highlights how students living with disability feel excluded from school activities and that their sense of belonging declines as they progress through education.
Almost a third of disabled learners feel they do not belong at school.
Ruth Shinoda, Head of ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre, said, "Disabled children have the same rights to enrol and receive a good education as other learners and we know that a quality education can change their lives.
"But disabled learners are being let down time and time again, and coordinated action needs to be taken now to significantly improve education for these priority learners," she said.
Shinoda said the research findings reflect that schools are struggling.
"Most troubling, teachers are not confident teaching disabled learners.
"We found that more than half of teachers in schools and one third of ECE teachers lack confidence in teaching disabled learners."
The research also found that nearly half of school leaders do not have a full understanding of their legal obligations to disabled learners.
ERO has evaluated education for disabled learners in schools and early learning services 11 times in the last 18 years and has found persistent issues with quality and inclusiveness.
It recommends the Government act on fall under four areas; strengthening prioritisation and accountability, building school leaders’ and teachers’ capability, empowering disabled learners and their whānau and better coordination and increased collaboration.
It suggests agencies report back to ministers by July next year.
The research is based on survey responses from 355 learners, 509 parents and whānau, 772 teachers, 448 teacher aides, 101 principals and 125 special education specialists.
ERO also conducted site visits and in-depth interviews.
The office said about one in 10 children under the age of 15 have a disability.
It says the Government spends more than $1 billion annually to support them.
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