Ashleigh

Grech

EDFD221: Creating Inclusive Safe and Supportive Schools

Dear Mr. Gale,

I am writing with great disappointment concerning the refusal of enrolment of

year three student, Charlotte Fletcher. While I understand the school must
implement procedures and adhere to policies that support the schools
vision, I simply cannot understand why Charlottes enrolment has been
rejected. Every student has a right to education. Children need to be
provided with the opportunity to be an active member of an inclusive learning
environment that caters for all. However, this just cannot be achieved in
Charlottes case. Your school is denying her the prospect of developing her
knowledge and skills in a supportive, engaging and inclusive learning
environment. Giorcelli (1995), (as cited in Foreman, 2011) states, in
education, inclusion is based on the philosophy that schools should, without
question, provide for the needs of all of the children in the community,
whatever their background, their ability, or their disability. Inclusive schools
welcome and celebrate diversity in ability as well as in cultural, racial, ethnic
and social background. It is quite unfortunate that your school is failing to
meet the criteria of an inclusive school community, particularly when the first
notion of welcoming students is not met.
One of the underlying philosophies of Australian schools is to educate
children about the implications of discrimination. Schools aim to provide
students with a safe and supportive (Ministerial Council on Education, Early
Childhood Development and Youth Affairs [MCEECDYA], 2011) environment
in which every member of the community has the opportunity to actively
contribute to the schools society. However, depriving an eight-year-old child
the opportunity to be part of this community basically contradicts the
schools teaching of discrimination. In saying this, there are many guidelines
set out by the National Safe Schools Framework in which all Australian
schools are obliged to follow. One of the elements of these principles is A
supportive and connected school culture (MCEECDYA, 2011). The National

Ashleigh Grech

EDFD221: Creating Inclusive Safe and Supportive Schools

Safe Schools Framework (MCEECDYA, 2011) identifies clear demonstration

of respect and support for student diversity in the schools inclusive actions
and structures, as a characteristic of a supportive and connected school
culture. Positive, caring and respectful student-peer relationships, studentteacher relationships and teacher-teacher relationships (MCEECDYA, p5) is
also considered a crucial characteristic of this element. By refusing the
enrolment of a child, it appears that your school does not comply with this
framework, and consequently fails to allow children the opportunity to
develop and interact with these guiding principles.
As Charlottes past reports and enrolment application form imply, she is an
exceptional student. With a great cognitive ability, Charlotte has the
capability to attend to tasks, recall facts, interact well with her peers and
complete all set work to a comprehensive standard. However, your school is
denying her the opportunity to advance in these areas. Schools of the
twenty-first century have moved towards collaborative learning. This form of
learning involves students operating in small groups as they work together to
achieve a specific learning objective. The refusal to enrol Charlotte denies her
the opportunity of working in a twenty-first century development in
education. Schratzenstaller (2010), contends that classrooms of the twentyfirst century are constructivist learning environments that favour selfregulated, collaborative and social learning (p 26). Slavin (2010) also
supports the collaborative learning environment, in which it recognises the
learners as its core participants, encourages their active engagement and
develops in them an understanding of their own activity as learners (p 319).
Essentially, Charlotte is being refused the opportunity to interact and engage
with a collaborative learning environment, which will negatively impact her
development as a learner.

Another important aspect children learn and practice at school is values.

Whilst it is crucial that children learn values from a young age, these are

Ashleigh Grech

EDFD221: Creating Inclusive Safe and Supportive Schools

consistently reinforced throughout students schooling. It is almost

impossible for children to learn responsibility and potentially endeavor to
make rational decisions if they are not exposed to a collaborative learning
environment with their peers. How is a child expected to develop moral and
ethical values if they are not welcome to be a member of a community? The
Framework for Values Education for Australian Schools (Department of
Education, Science and Training [DEST], 2005) identifies a number of values
such as care and compassion, doing your best, fair go, freedom, honesty
and trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility and understanding,
tolerance and inclusion as common values emerging from school
communities. These values work in correspondence with the National Goals
(DEST, 2005). The goals of Australian schools involve developing students
self-confidence, optimism, high self-esteem, and a commitment to personal
excellence. It is with disappointment that I indicate that your school also
breaches this Framework.
Whilst on the topic of values and moral standards, school is the central place
where children are educated about social justice. Students are repeatedly
informed that all individuals have equal rights, regardless of age, gender,
race, class, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Why should children be
led to believe social justice exists in the twenty-first century of Australian
society, if a helpless eight year old is refused admission to a school? The
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations [UN],
2008) identifies the basic human rights of the child. Two of these are
particularly pertinent to Charlottes current situation. The declaration
identifies All children have the right to a primary education, which should be
free... Discipline in schools should respect childrens dignity. For children to
benefit from education, schools must be run in an orderly way- without the
use of violence Young people should be encouraged to reach the highest
level of education of which they are capable. The next article outlines the
goals of education and states Childrens education should develop each
childs personality, talents and abilities to the fullest it should encourage

Ashleigh Grech

EDFD221: Creating Inclusive Safe and Supportive Schools

children to respect others, human rights and their own and other cultures. It
should also help them learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and
respect other people (UN, 2008). Ultimately, these two articles encapsulate
the underlying principles and visions of every Australian school. It seems as
though your school also violates these Rights of the Child.
I have one final policy to address. The Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development (2013) has developed Admission and Enrolment
policies, applicable to all Victorian schools. The admission policy has been
developed to ensure that schools collect relevant admission information,
obtain a completed enrolment form, collect and record an immunization
status certificate, ensure applicants are Australian citizens, or have relevant
student visas. The enrolment policy has been developed to ensure schools
enrol eligible students, maintain enrolment data, maintain their custodial
role, maintain student details and movements in enrolment history, and keep
all information confidential in accordance with the departments privacy
policy and Victorian privacy laws. These policies have been breached, and
therefore denied the right to education to a child.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could take some time to consider these
suggestions and review your schools policies and current stance on these
issues. I would be more than happy to meet with you to further discuss this
pressing matter. If we cannot reach an agreement, I will take this matter to
the Department of Education.
Thank you,
Yours sincerely,
Melinda Fletcher (Charlottes Aunt)

Ashleigh Grech

EDFD221: Creating Inclusive Safe and Supportive Schools

References
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria. (2013).
School Policy and Advisory Guide. State of Victoria.
Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005). National framework
for values in Australian schools. Prepared by the Student Learning and
Support Services Taskforce Canberra. [Held as part of a kit]. Retrieved from
http://www.valueseducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/Framework_PDF_versi
on_for_the_web.pdf
Foreman, P. (Ed.)(2011). Inclusion in Action (3rd ed.). South Melbourne,
Victoria: Cengage Learning.
Ministerial Council on Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth
Affairs (2011). National Safe Schools Framework 1-12. [Booklet]. Retrieved
from http://docs.education.gov.au/node/20162
Schratzenstaller, A. (2010). The Classroom of the Past. In K. Makitalo-Siegl,
J. Zottmann, F. Kaplan & F. Fischer (Eds.), Classroom of the Future:
Orchestrating Collaborative Spaces (pp. 15-39). Netherlands: Sense
Publishers.
Slavin, R. (2010). Co-operative learning: what makes group-work work? The
Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, OECD Publishing.
United Nations (2008), Convention on the Rights of the Child. [Fact sheet].
Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf