EDFD221

Assignment 1
Letter

To Whom It May Concern,

I am Jack Murrays father and I am writing to request that you revise and
overturn your decision to deny my sons enrolment to your school. It is in
my opinion that this rejection directly undermines the philosophy,
principles, legislation and policies of inclusion that your school and staff
should be committed to. Additionally, the basis for values and the National
Safe School framework clearly depict how this rejection is going against a
policy that was introduced so that all children, at differing levels, are not
left behind. Lastly, and most unfortunately, this decision is a social
injustice that is infringing on my childs basic human rights.
This, quite frankly, is a form of discrimination to those in our society, who
by no fault of their own, face a biological and psychological hurdle and
because of this require a little bit more assistance to achieve satisfactory
educational outcomes.

The philosophy and principles of inclusion are centred on ensuring student

wellbeing, and this is essential to the achievement of educational
standards (Lovat, 2010). An inclusive school should set out to provide a
safe and supportive culture and provide equitable access. It is important
that the school understands that Jack is an only child, who is in good
health, lives in a good community and engages well with his family. I can
afford to have Jack take on extracurricular activities, which I feel have
increased his motor functions as well as his social cognition. Apart from

his dyscalculia and poor memory, I believe he can excel in other areas of
study, as well create and maintain relationships with his peers. Jacks
positives far outweigh his shortcomings, and he should be included in the
learning environment to help him improve, as well as to see him shine in
other areas of his development.

It is astounding that under the National Safe Schools Framework, which

comprises of nine elements based on good practice and research-based
literature, that your school is undermining the crucial element of early
intervention and targeted support (Standing Council on School Education
and Early Childhood, 2013). My childs condition requires intervention and
targeted support, and that you are not even considering how to do that is
in direct violation and is disregarding a nationwide framework.

The frameworks that support the values of education must be considered

when making decisions in regards to approving my sons enrolment. For
instance the Health Promoting Schools Framework (Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009) puts forth that a
whole school approach needs to be taken to ensure student wellbeing.
This holistic approach provides three key elements that are required;
firstly for the curriculum to include teaching and learning, containing
social and emotional learning, for example teaching students how to make
and keep a friend. This element emphasises how important the social
development of children is, that it is as important as reaching intellectual
milestones. The second value in the framework emphasises parents and

community partnerships. Your school needs to recognise that it is not an

island and the ways in which it excludes, interacts, and partners up with
the community that its students come from is essential to the wellbeing of
all the children that attend. Lastly, promoting health in your school is
ensuring that the school ethos and environment is recognised as integral
to promoting student wellbeing. This encompasses the way teachers treat
children and ensure differences such as culture are celebrated, and that
diversity (including mobility and intellectual disabilities) can be
recognised, supported and not rejected (Department of Education,
Science and Training, 2005). From this, a purely health perspective, I feel
your school has disregarded the values in education that provide a
framework for student wellbeing.

It is important for your school to consider the impeachment of my childs

right and need of social justice that this denial has violated. Under the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1990), a key principle is
that a child has the right to survival and development as well as the right
to enjoy its rights without discrimination of any kind. To deny a child its
educational development and to deny that right on the basis of
discrimination; that dyscalculia is grounds for exclusion of an educational
environment (to then restrict social and intellectual development) directly
goes against international law (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission, 2007). The breaching of this law is a social injustice and the
message your school sends by rejecting children with minor intellectual
disabilities effects the wider community in the standards you set on

children who attend your school. (Australian Human Rights Commission,

2014).

I feel I need to stress that there are actual legislations in existence that
the Department of Education and Training would recognise in a court of
law as being ignored. In addition to violating the previously mentioned
international CRC (UNICEF, 1990), this is treatment goes against the
Disability Standards for Education (Department of Education and Training.
2005). These standards explicitly state that all education providers have
three main obligations: to consult, make reasonable adjustments, and to
eliminate harassment and victimisation. It seems the school has not
consulted any professionals or considered how a maths program may be
adjusted to suit my sons needs, and in doing so, have shown clear
discrimination.

I hope this letter finds you well and that I have demonstrated why I feel
my son Jack should be allowed to attend your school. It is important for
the teachers of your school to recognise how excluding Jack directly
undermines the school as an educational facility as it goes against the
National Safe Schools Framework and the framework that governs the
values in the education system. Moreover, regardless of your educational
obligations, the decision to exclude Jack impedes on his basic human
rights as a child, and is a social injustice to the individuals in our society
that are different or need more assistance. Furthermore, the philosophy,
principles, legislation and policies of inclusion should be a corner stone of

the education system if children like my son are to be treated equally,

without prejudice and to be given a fair go.

Regards,
Paul Murray.

References
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2014). Children's Rights. Retrieved
from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/childrens-rights
Department of Education and Training. (2005). Disability Standards for
Education.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009)
Supporting Student Wellbeing Through Values Education
Department of Education, Science and Training. (2003). National safe
schools framework. Prepared by the Student Learning and Support
Services Taskforce Canberra.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. (2007) Australias
commitment to childrens rights and reporting to the UN.
Lovat, T. J. (2010). Synergies and balance between values education and
quality teaching. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 42(4), 489500.
Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood. (2013)
National Safe School Framework.
UNICEF. (1990) Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF, New York,
1990.