Inclusive Schools

Felix Jürgen
35 Wilmont Ave,
Frankston West
3199


To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you as I was recently informed that my son, Alexander, has been refused enrolment
into your school. I would like to draw your attention to a number of documents and policies that
support why Alexander should be admitted into you school.
In accordance with the Convention of the Rights of the child, children have the right to a good
quality education that should be encouraged to the highest level and should help to use, develop
and strengthen the child’s talents and abilities. (UNICEF, 2005) Children also have the right to give
their opinion and have it listened to and taken seriously. (UNICEF, 2005) As a parent, I want my child
to receive the highest level of education available to him which is his right, and as a school you
should respect this right and allow him to attend your school.
According to the Salamanca statement, every child must be given the opportunity to achieve and
maintain an appropriate level of learning because it is their right to have an education. (UNESCO,
1994) In addition to this, students with special needs must be accommodated in a regular school
which will meet their needs. Students need to be included into the schools, academically as well as
socially. It is also to be seen in the Education standards of the Disability discrimination act that
students with a disability have the right to participate in the same educational courses and
institutions as students without a disability. (Australian Government, 2005) Despite Alexander’s
learning disability, oppositional defiant disorder, I know that he is still entitled to enrol and get an
education at your school under the disability discrimination act and the education standards and
that he would benefit from being included in your school environment.
I have taken careful consideration into what school I should enrol Alexander into due to his
disability, so that he can get the best education suited for him. The Disability Discrimination Act
(Australian Government, 1992) states it is against the law for someone to be refused admission
because of their disability. As a public school, you must comply with the Disability Standards for
Education. (Australian Government, 2005) These standards state that a person with a disability is
able to enrol into an institution on the same basis as a person without a disability. Adjustments must
be made to accommodate the students so long as they are reasonable and the school must ensure
that the student is able to be involved and participate in the classes and programs as well as use the
facilities of the school (Australian Government, 2005)
Reading through the National safe schools framework that is used in your school, it appears that
Alexander would be greatly benefitted from the school environment that you are creating. Element
8 of the framework says that additional support will be given to students or families that could
benefit. (Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, 2011) As
a now single parent with 3 sons, and Alexander being very challenging with his disorder, I strongly
believe that the extra and ongoing support would make a huge difference to him as well as our
family and I am prepared to work collaboratively with you to achieve this. Due to Alexander having
Oppositional Defiant Disorder, he can be disobedient, hostile and defiant; the National safe schools
framework displays a positive behaviour management system which is consistent throughout the
school. (MCEECDYA, 2011) Children with oppositional defiant disorder benefit greatly from positive
reinforcement and behaviour management techniques which would be delivered at your school.
(ADHD, Mood and Behaviour Center of New Jersey, 2011)
Care and compassion, doing your best, fair go; freedom, honesty and integrity are all values that are
set within the framework for values in Australian schools. (Department of Education, Science and
Training, 2005) These values, along with others, are all values that I hope Alexander can grow up to
have. I strongly believe that values education is an integral part of children’s education. These values
that are taught through Australian schooling are shared with Australia’s common democratic way of
life. (DEST, 2005) I am aware that your approach to values education in compliance with the National
Framework for Values Education is a very successful one and would be honoured if Alexander could
receive this learning from the quality teaching staff at your school. In accordance with values
education, I believe that fair go, integrity, respect and inclusion (DEST, 2005) are very important in
this situation. Alexander deserves to be respected and to be treated fairly and with respect, which
refusing his enrolment is certainly not.
As previously stated, I am prepared to work collaboratively with the school to make my sons learning
experience as valuable as it can be. The disability guidelines say that collaboration with the parent
can help in creating an inclusive curriculum. (VCAA, 2010) Individual learning plans can be developed
to provide effective learning for him while also including and engaging him with the rest of the class.
The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct states that Teachers provide opportunities for
ALL students to learn. (Victorian Institute of Teaching, 2008) Regardless of age, race, gender, ability,
all students must be given equal opportunity to achieve. (UNICEF, 2005)
A child’s right to an education is one of the most important rights that they have and refusing his
enrolment is denying him of one of his given rights as a human and as a child. I hope considering the
highlighted documents and policies that you reconsider my sons’ enrolment into your school.
Regards,
Felix Jürgen











References
UNESCO. (1994) The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education.
Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF
UNICEF. (2005) Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/
Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005). National framework for values in Australian
schools. Prepared by the Student Learning and Support Serviced Taskforce Canberra. Retrieved from
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/Framework_PDF_version_for_the_web.pdf
Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs. (2011). National
safe schools framework: Resource Manual. Retrieved from http://deewr.gov.au/national-safe-
schools-framework-0
ADHD, Mood and Behaviour Center of New Jersey. (2011) Children with Oppositional Defiant
Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.adhdmoodbehaviorcenter.com/facts-for-families/odd-in-
children.php
VCAA. (2010) Students with disabilities guidelines. Victorian Essential Learning Standards. Retrieved
from
http://leo.acu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/462459/mod_page/content/16/VELS_disability_guidelines.pdf
Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education. Retrieved from
http://foi.deewr.gov.au/documents/disability-standards-education-2005
Australian Government. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act. Retrieved from
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00022
Victorian Institute of Teaching. (2008). The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct. Retrieved
from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/e15c9dc6-4eb2-542b-dbf1-2af04d69cb60/1/1543_Code-of-
Conduct-June-2008.pdf