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Record
PERTH, WA: August 17, 1995
PRINT POST APPROVED P P602669/00303
Number 2958
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What's Inside ....
Former Mercedes College student and Rhodes scholar, Tanya Alpin, reflects on the effect of the information superhighway on education - Page 10 St Kieran's, Tuart Hill, celebrates 75 years of service with the launch of a history of the school and parish - Pages 8-9 A layman reminds Catholic laity they are called by God first to evangelise the world and then, maybe, not serve on the altar or as special ministers - Page 11 An occasional listing of US Catholic video classifications for harassed parents - Page 7
Special kids 'concern'
Parents' report hits at school access
"We acknowledge the enormous amount of work that has been put into this report but are somewhat saddened that our comments A report on the educational needs of have not been sought after," he said. Catholic children with disabilities released Mrs Maureen Thomson, a special educaby the Catholic Association for Special tion consultant with the CEO, said the CEO Education Support has sharply criticised had a more comprehensive data base than the Catholic education system in Western CASES which included figures predicting Australia for failing to meet the needs of enrolments up to the year 2001. parents of disabled children. The report said that high on the list of probWhile the report acknowledged the posi- lems confronted by parents with disabled tive aspects of Catholic education's efforts to children was the problem of enrolling dismeet the requirements of disabled/special abled children in Catholic schools needs children and their parents. the Catholic It said that from 1982 until this year the surEducation Office of Western Australia said the report took only a parents' perspective vey results reported 123 unsuccessful and had not balanced its comments with attempts at placing special needs children in comments from individual schools and the Catholic schools and that the number was rising annually. CEO. Based on a survey of parents of 460 disRespondents reported that in 12 per cent of abled children both in and out of Catholic the cases no reason had been given by the schools, the report is entitled Invitation to the Catholic school for refusal of the enrolment. Banquet and was commissioned by ArchMr King disputed the general thrust of the bishop Hickey as an archdiocesan initiative report's criticisms concerning provision of for the International Year of the Family in facilities for special needs students. 1994. "This survey is very much of an historical The report said that in 1982 there were three reported unsuccessful attempts at nature and doesn't take into account what enrolment, while in 1995 the number had has happened over the last few years and what is in the planning over the next few risen to 27. he said. years." The CEO, school staff, including sonic prinwere criticipals, and school communities "We have increased significantly the numcised for a perceived lack of support of stu- ber of children with disabilities in the system dents with special needs and their families. and, equally as important as that, the level of The objectives of the survey, the report disability of those children has significantly said, were to document the types of problems increased and we're now catering for that." experienced by families of disabled children he said. in the education system and to gain an idea of He also said that a number of special edutheir future needs and expectations. cation centres had been opened in Catholic CASES' membership is mainly made up of schools over the last five years. parents, friends and professionals interested Eleven per cent of respondents to the in the education of children with special CASES survey cited school and other parents' needs. The CEO said that it would consider the attitudes as a reason for an unsuccessful report and its recommendations and then enrolment attempt . Heading the list of reasons for unsuccessful report to Archbishop Hickey. CEO Student Support Services Section attempts at enrolment was lack of resources head, Michael King, said he was puzzled by available to cater for the child, cited by 24 per cent of respondents. the data presented in the report. Mr King's section directs the CEO's work "Parents have experienced rejection (parwith disabled children in Catholic schools, tial or complete), have been given the impres"I think the report is coming from one per- sion that any assistance from the parish and spective, that is, the perspective of parents," School Community is above and beyond Mr King said. what parents have a right to expect, and "I'm not saying that's not an important per- many have given up from sheer exhaustion spective, but it is but one perspective and the any hope that their child with special needs survey was aimed at parents and there was would ever be accepted into the Catholic no attempt to balance those comments with Education System," the report said. comments from schools and this office." CASES recommendations included: All the people who work in Catholic • proportional representation of parents of CEO were the very much conand schools cerned for people handling children with dis- children with special needs on all diocesan committees developing educational policies; abilities and special needs, he said. Invited to the Banquet comments strongly • the preparation and implementation of on the Catholic education system's treatment special education teaching programs at of students with disabilities and their parents. undergraduate and post-graduate level for all "Many Parents/Guardians are disillu- teaching staff; sioned and distraught with the way in which • the formation of a taskforce to examine they and their children have been treated by ways of increasing funds for use in schools; the Catholic school system, and the Catholic • the support of special needs children by Education Office," the report said. Mr King said the CEO was informed of the parishes via mechanisms such as scholarsurvey by CASES at its commencement and ships; and had sought participation, but CASES did not • the recruitment and promotion of voluntake up the offer. teer assistants in Catholic schools. By Peter Rosengren
Silvia Kinder and daughter Helena: training of teachers important.
By Colleen McGuiness-Howard "Hurt, anger, frustration and disappointment" are the reactions families experience when refused Catholic education for their disabled child, according to CASES (Catholic Association for Special Education Support) spokesperson Silvia Kinder. "Or worse still when the child is accepted and it becomes merely a bottom on a seat because there were no structures put in place to support the child." Feeling rejection and disillusionment, some had left the Church she said, and the necessity of finding alternative schooling not only separated siblings, but fragmented the family and caused hardship because the disabled child and parent were faced with long hours of travel. It also damaged the child's self-esteem to be told that it wasn't wanted in the same Catholic school attended by their brothers and sisters, said Mrs Kinder.
"And after all, family unity is surely part of the Christian ideal. "Our main message is that we are a Catholic organisation," emphasised Mrs Kinder, "and are part of the Church body too." Mrs Kinder dismissed "lack of resources" as being the prime response for refusal, and said it was really a lack of a Christian attitude. She said disabled children in Catholic schools thrived in the caring Catholic environment, even though there were very few resources, and cited their ten year old Downs Syndrome daughter Elena, who's been at St Thomas' Primary, Claremont, since pre-primary. "And although she receives minimal government funding, with the great attitude displayed by the whole school community and the Catholic Education Office, she is doing really well." Theirs is a good news story, Mrs Kinder concedes, and others are not so fortunate. Continued on Page 2