WA education: Heartbreaking protest of letters from parents and students to be delivered to State Parliament

Letters from hundreds of parents, students and teachers detailing how children with complex needs are being “let down” by the education system will be delivered to WA Parliament on Thursday. The protest will see more than 500 school bags with letters attached placed on the steps of Parliament, calling on the State Government to urgently introduce reforms to make WA schools more inclusive for children with disabilities. The firsthand accounts include a letter from a high school student, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, functional neurological disorder and Ehlers Danlos syndrome, but without an autism diagnosis does not qualify for classroom support. The student, who has not attended school for months, has been waiting for three years for an autism assessment through the Child Development Service, which The West Australian revealed earlier this month has a wait list of almost 12,000 children. “I became severely depressed and didn’t want to be alive … I was often scared to leave the house,” the teen wrote about high school. “Last term I was unable to attend school even one single day and when mum tried to take me, I broke down in tears and could not function.” Perth mother Kat Elmer-Gray is one of a growing number of parents find themselves “accidental home schooling.” Two of her sons, aged 11 and 12, are autistic and have complex needs. Her eldest, Karter, also lives with cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. They have not attended school since 2020 because the family’s local public school does not have an education support unit. The nearest school that does is at capacity and the family lives out of catchment, meaning the school is not required to accept their enrolment. “Throwing a complex, high support needs child into a mainstream class without robust, fully funded and accessible services is a nightmare and I won’t do it to my kids,” Ms Elmer-Gray said. “There is no ability for them to go to school safety.” In his letter, her son Brax, who also has ADHD and a developmental delay, said he “wanted to go to school and make friends but there is no spots”. “There is expertise and research evidence that maps out how schools must change to insure they are inclusive of all children. Why is this being ignored?” the teacher asked. Thursday’s event has been organised by advocacy groups Square Peg Round Hole WA and Accountability for Children and Education in WA. SPRHWA spokeswoman Symone Wheatley said the letters were “heartbreaking” and pointed to a system on the brink of crisis. “It’s getting worse, and young people and educators are being severely harmed,” she said. “The wellbeing of young people, principals, education professionals and families are interconnected. When we leave one to fester, it’s a matter of time before it starts poisoning other aspects of a community as well.” The group wants the State Government to urgently implement 15 reforms recommended in a major review into WA’s education act released last month, aimed at removing barriers and strengthening access and inclusion for students with a disability. WA is the only jurisdiction where the law limits enrolment at a local school based on whether an “appropriate” educational program is available, which means principals can turn away students with disability. Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari, who will attend the protest on Thursday, urged the Government to announce a timeframe for reform. “Many of these families have waited through a significant period of their child’s schooling for answers, and they deserve clarify on when they might see change,” he said. In response to the review, Education Minister Sabine Winton said the department would set up a dedicated “disability reform unit” to improve access and services across public schools. On Wednesday, she said the reform work was underway. “Legislative reform is complex, and my focus is on getting it right, so changes lead to real, timely and lasting change for students and families,” she said. “Our Government’s response to the review will strengthen legislation and policy to ensure students with disability have more equitable access to quality education. This includes undertaking a review of enrolment-related regulations, policies, procedures and guidance. “Public schools will also receive clearer guidance on their obligations to enrol students with disability before the end of the year, and new resources are being developed to help families navigate complaints processes more easily.”