Key:

Standard 1.6

Artefact 4: Excerpt of EDFD221 assignment Letter

Not allowing Emily to attend your school, even though her siblings already
attend is a form of discrimination and exclusion. By doing this you are going
against the Disability Standards for Education. Under the Disability
Discrimination Act (DDA) it is against the law to discriminate on the grounds of a
persons disability (Discrimination Act Education Standards, 2006, p. 3). These
education standards were created to give students like Emily a right to
participate in educational programs on the same basis as a student without a
disability (Discrimination Act Education Standards, 2006, p. 3). By not allowing
Emily to enrol into your school you are blocking her from accessing the same
choices and educational opportunities that all students have a right to. According
to the UN Nations Rights of the Child, you are neglecting both articles 2 and 28.
These rights claim that Emily is entitled to all of the rights of the convention,
even if she has a disability. She has the right to a good quality education (United
Nations Human Rights, n.d). The UN Convention on the rights of persons with
Disabilities also state similar rights that Emily is covered under, reaffirming that
all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and
fundamental freedoms (United Nations Human Rights, 2008). By discriminating
against and taking away Emilys accessibility to education you are also ignoring
the 8 guiding principles under this convention. Especially, the guiding principle
of Equal Opportunity (United Nations Human Rights, 2008).

Like these conventions, there is also the National Safe Schools Framework
(NSSF), which strives to achieve a vision where all schools in Australia are
respectful and supportive of their students (Australian Government Department
of Education, Science and Training. 2003). Do you think your choice of rejecting
Emily is allowing you to be supportive and respectful? Think about what you are
demonstrating to your students. The Safe Schools Hub, provided by the NSSF
exclaims that educators should provide a demonstration of respect along with a
support and inclusion for student diversity (Commonwealth of Australia through
the Department of Education, 2014). It is imperative that you model these
qualities to your students. From what I understand your school has also recently
been teaching the 6 pillars of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness,
caring, and citizenship (Josephson Institute, 2015). How are you supposed to
properly teach these vital values when you cannot uphold them yourselves?