Breanna Moore

S00117622

Dear Principle,
Before applying, on behalf of my daughter, for enrolment to your Catholic primary school, I read the
vision statement on your school website. It clearly states that your school strives to be a learning
community where everyone can experience success in an inclusive, safe and respectful environment
and that your aim is to ensure that all have a sense of belonging to the school community, which is a
place where teachers and students work together to collectively, maximize learning opportunities
for all. I therefore find the rejection of my daughters enrolment, due to her having Cerebral Palsy, a
contradiction to your schools vision, as well as a social injustice, a form of exclusion and a breach of
the rights of my child.

Article 23, within the UN Convention on the rights of the child [UNCRC] highlights the fact that a
child with a disability has the same rights, including all those listed within the convention, as children
without a disability (1989). It would therefore be relevant to point out that within the convention it
states that my daughter, like any other child, has the right to a good quality education (UN
convention on the rights of the child, 1989, Article 28). This would indicate that the desire to send
my daughter to a mainstream school, such as yours, cannot simply be dismissed due to her having a
disability.

Article 19 within the UNCRC indicates that as a child, my daughter has the right to be protected
from being hurt and mistreated (1989). To be rejected from a school community on the bases of
disability is unquestionably mistreatment. To mistreat my child in this way can also be seen as
disability discrimination, which described by the Disability Discrimination Act [DDA] (2005) is where
a person is treated unfairly or harassed because of their disability. Your schools vision statement

Breanna Moore
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suggests that you strive for a school where all have a sense of belonging. Can you honestly defend
this statement after excluding my daughter from your school community on the bases of her having
Cerebral Palsy?

Another value your vision statement address is inclusion. Inclusion is a value which fits under human
rights, social justice and equity (Dempsey, 2004) and of course is the opposite, in all sense of the
word, too disability discrimination. To refuse or discourage the enrolment of a child into a school
due to their disability is far from creating a school environment that is inclusive.

Another policy in which you have failed to comply with is the Disability Standards for Education.
These standards require a student with a disability to be treated on the same basis (Disability
Standards for Education, 2005, p.1), as students without a disability, including in the area of
enrolment. This would mean to provide a sense of equity to all students applying for enrolment at
your primary school, something in which you are currently not doing.

The implementation of the UNCRC and the DDA within Australia has given my daughter the right,
despite her disability, to a good quality education, inclusion within a mainstream school setting and
the wider community and therefore assistance with the prevention of unfair mistreatment. To do as
you have, and reject my daughters application under such pretences is a breach of these policies and
can lead to serious consequences for your primary school.

Breanna Moore
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Another piece of documentation that is relevant to my argument is the National Safe Schools
Framework. I bring this framework to your attention as you have mentioned the word respectful
within your vision statement. Coincidently, the vision of this framework also includes respect. The
National Safe School Framework (2010) has a vision that all Australian schools are safe, supportive
and respectful teaching and learning communities that promote students wellbeing. The framework
then continues by stating its six guiding principles which will assist schools in reaching the overall
vision, one in particular that I wish to highlight. Encourage the active participation of all school
community members in developing and maintaining a safe school community where diversity is
valued (National Safe School Framework, 2010, p.3). To value diversity would be to include people
into your school network from all walks of life, including those children who have a disability. By
welcoming them into the school you would be respecting who they are and their differences,
creating a school which respects the diversity in which people come. Through your actions I can see
that you do not value diversity and certainly do not respect those people who represent it.

The Australian Government has created a National Framework for Values Education in Australian
Schools [NFVEAS]. I understand that all schools within Australia will individually develop their own
approach towards values education, however, must draw from a list of nine values developed by the
NFVEAS. All nine values are of equal importance, but there are five which are most relevant to this
issue. Care and compassion, fair go, integrity, respect and understanding, tolerance and inclusion.
Care and compassion has certainly not been shown towards me or my daughter. A fair go, where all
people are treated fairly for a just society (NFVEAS, 2005, p.4) was not demonstrated in my
daughters enrolment refusal. Integrity is described as acting in accordance with principles of moral
and ethical conduct, ensuring consistency between words and deeds (NFVEAS, 2005, p.4). As I have
previously highlighted, the schools actions are not in accordance with any principles of moral and
ethical conduct within Australias policies and legislation, and has not shown consistency between
words and deeds, as your vision contradicts the way you have treated my daughter. Respect,

Breanna Moore
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through treating others with consideration and regard is not evident. Lastly, but not of least
importance, is understanding, tolerance and inclusion. Your school has shown no understand of my
daughter and her disability, has demonstrated no tolerance towards diversity in the school
community and most certainly has not been inclusive towards my daughter and her disability.

Putting aside the principal and policy case for inclusion, there is also a social and educational benefit
to including my daughter, and other children with a disability, into your school community. UNICEF
(2012) has recognised that the positives can impact the whole community, including the children
with and without a disability. Inclusion can produce positive changes in attitudes towards diversity
by teaching all children together and leading to greater social cohesion. Children with a disability feel
less stigmatised and more socially included, they have access to wider curriculum than that which is
available in special schools and it leads to higher achievement than when placed in segregated
settings and the children without a disability learn tolerance, acceptance and respect for diversity.

My letter brings to your attention the multiple reasons as to why refusing my daughter an education
in your primary school is wrong morally, ethically, social, educationally and legally. I hope this will
change the schools attitude to a more accepting and inclusive school environment that will no longer
reject enrolment due to a child having a disability.

Yours Sincerely
Breanna Moore

Breanna Moore
S00117622

Reference List
Australian Association for Special Education Inc. (2005). Disability Standards for Education.
Retrieved from
http://www.aase.edu.au/phocadownload/Disability_Standards/DDA%20Classroom%
20Teachers%20Information%20Sheet.pdf

Australian Government [Department of education, science and training]. (2005). National

Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools. Retrieved from
http://www.valueseducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/Framework_PDF_version_for
_the_web.pdf

Dempsey, I. (2004). Principles and Policies for Integration and Inclusion. Retrieved From
http://paragraph.com.au/pdf/books/integration-text.pdf

Disability Discrimination Act [Education Standards]. (2008). Your Right to an Education.

Retrieved from http://www.ddaedustandards.info/UB_DDA_Booklet_webA4.pdf

Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs. (2010).
National Safe Schools Framework. Retrieved from
http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/NSSFramework.pdf

United Nations Childrens Fund [UNICEF]. (2012). The Rights of Children with Disabilities to
Education: A Rights-based Approach to Inclusive Education. Retrieved from
http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/IEPositionPaper_ENGLISH.pdf

Breanna Moore
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United Nations Childrens Fund [UNICEF]. (1989). UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Retrieved from
http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_crcchildfriendly.pdf