Mr.

Jacob Smith
25 Campbell St,
Coburg, 3058
Date: 15th March, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you regarding your administrations decision to overlook my
son, Damian, with regard to the opportunity to become a member of your reputable
school. My wife and I are confused by the fact that you would not accept our son on
the basis of his severe language disorder, seeing as we believe that his impairment The various
legislations in place
to ensure inclusive
development. Moreover, your refusal of his enrolment surprises us as it goes school
against environments
would be considered a small hurdle in the larger scheme of his personal

a number of Australian educational philosophies including the Principles for

Inclusion; the National Safe Schools Framework; the National Framework for Values
in Education; Childrens Rights & Social Justice and the Legislation & Policies for
Inclusion.
Through your decision, we feel Damian is being denied the right to develop his
wellbeing and values. One of the founding principles of student wellbeing is the idea
that students feel connected to the school and are safe, confident contributing
members of society (Values for Australian Schooling, 2009, p 122). Damian would
be instantly disadvantaged if he is denied the opportunity to connect and contribute
to your school we fear that this early rejection act would only serve as a stepping
stone for Damian towards a negative world view that would incline him to adopt
destructive values.
The Disabilities Discrimination Act indicates that Damian has a right to an
education, regardless of his intellectual disability. These Educational Standards aim
to give students with disabilities the right to participate in educational programs on
the same basis as students without a disability (Disabilities Discrimination Act
[DDA], 2005, p. 3). This act suggests that there is an obligation to make reasonable
adjustments to cater for the needs of disabled students, provided there are no
This extract demonstrates an understanding of
the legislative requirements surrounding the
inclusion of students with disabilities

unjustifiable hardships. We believe we can work together to discuss and address

Damians challenges, needs and or barriers.
My wife and I are both tertiary educated, which sees us valuing the power of
effective and inclusive education. Through this we would be happy to arrange
regular meetings to provide a strong partnership with the school and educators to
ensure he progresses. Moreover, we are obviously aware of Damians intellectual
disability and are consistently working with him at home to help him develop his
language skills.
In a safe and supportive school, the risk from all types of harm in minimized,
diversity is valued and all members of the school community feel respected and
included (National Safe Schools Framework, 2013, p. 2). Unfortunately, we feel that
Damian is at risk of psychological damage as his peers already attend your school
and he desperately wants to engage and grow with them in a supportive
environment. We also had high hopes that your school would work in accordance
with the UNESCO Salamanca Statement (1994) by being aware and supportive of
Damians special needs and that through your acceptance he would feel welcomed
into the community and receive a strong support base.
We believe that through a combined effort your school would identify the
needs of Damian and provide additional support that he would benefit from
(National Safe Schools Framework, 8.1). This would be in conjunction with teaching
Damian that his diversity is accepted while having him engage in education and
ultimately develop his social and emotional learning, helping him positively develop
his attention span and his language disorder.
The AHRC states that the education of a child shall be directed towards
developing each individuals personality traits, talents and mental and physical
abilities to their fullest potential (Australian Human Rights Commission [AHRC],
2011). Damian has demonstrated strengths in his motor functions and social
cognition, which we believe your school would be able to employ in favor of his
intellectual development. Through his involvement in sport and bike riding, Damian
has shown an ability to excel in physical and personable traits, which has highlighted
to us an ability to commit to and excel in engaging activities.

Through this, we feel that Damian would offer a great deal towards your
school community, in particular with his peers, as he has already demonstrated all
aspects of the Six Pillars of Character (Josephson Institute Centre for Youth Ethics,
2015), which we believe is quite outstanding for an eight year old. Damian has
proven his strength in social ability through his involvement in the local basketball
team, The Cougars, of which I am the coach. In his role in the team, he has
developed strong relationships with his teammates who are currently students at
your school.
In his involvement we have seen Damian develop a strong sense of fairness,
leadership and teamwork all in a caring and considerate matter. We strongly believe
that Damian would be able to successfully model these valued characteristics to his
peers as he has demonstrated sound social cognition. Furthermore, we have raised
Damian to be a valued citizen in our neighbourhood that has seen him engaging with
elderly members in a trustworthy and responsible manner.
Lastly, Damians younger brother, Arthur, will be commencing prep next year
and we are hoping that he too can become a valued member of your schools
community. This would also grant us the opportunity to contribute to the
community through active engagement in everything and anything your school has
to offer.
We hope that you reconsider your decision and grant Damian the opportunity
to grow into a valued member of your school.

Yours truly,

Jacob Smith

Reference:

Australian Human Rights Commission. Information concerning Australia and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. (2011). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/legal/submissions/
2011/201108_child_rights.pdf

Disability Discrimination Act Education Standards. Your Right to an Education.
(2005). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from
http://www.jcu.edu.au/disability/public/groups/everyone/documents/form_d
ownload/jcuprd_049959.pdf

Josephson Institue Centre for Youth Ethics. The Six Pillars of Character. (2015).
Retrieved March 18, 2015, from https://charactercounts.org/sixpillars.html

Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood. National Safe Schools
Framework. (2013). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from
http://www.safeschoolshub.edu.au/documents/nationalsafeschoolsframewor
k.pdf

Values for Australian Schooling Resources. (2009). Supporting Student Wellbeing

Through Values Education: A Resource Package. Retrieved March 16, 2015,
from
http://www.valueseducation.edu.au/values/val_values_ed_cpl_resources_2_s
upporting_student,27447.html

World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality. The Salamanca
Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. (1994).
Retrieved March 20, 2015, from
http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF