Families protesting against the 'Every Student Every School' policy.

We need the NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and to the Premier Barry O’Farrell to see and understand that these proposed changes will not benefit Every Student in Every School. This policy needs to be re-evaluated to ensure that it includes but is not limited to; teacher education, more support classes and support staff as well as adequate school resources. The policy must be re-evaluated to ensure it really does support Every Student in Every School.

Whilst it is important to improve the capacity and capabilities of the teachers that hold the responsibility of educating our special needs children, it is equally as important that these students receive adequate individual support to help equip our special needs children so that they can keep up with their class mates and achieve within mainstream schools. Whilst it is true that the funding put towards extra resources would be greatly beneficial, this reform doesn’t address the ongoing need of extra support that teachers need. Teachers barely have the time to circulate through the entire class on a one on one basis as it is. Giving teachers an education on how to manage a child with Autism, whilst beneficial, doesn’t grant them the support and extra time that is so desperately need.

Denying lower needs autistic children funding for support aides and extra resources is preventing our children from achieving their best. It places more pressure on teachers to keep up with the extra needs our children have and takes their time away from the other students within the class. In turn, it also put more pressure on parents and carers emotionally, physically and financially. Parents and carers will be left with the task of picking up the slack and paying for more therapies than they already do just to help their children obtain the right skills to cope at school. Skills that children deemed normal acquire without intervention. Autistic children will be placed under more stress from not being able to cope at school in a normal setting and parents and carers will be left to soothe these children who already struggle with school related anxiety. This anxiety causes problems with behaviour, sleep, eating and is unhealthy.

Alternatively, these children who are intelligent and would thrive if given the right support will be forced into an already overflowing special needs school. Not a support class as there are not nearly enough in local areas to support the number of Autistic children but a special school.

We need to support our children. They need and deserve to be supported through life and especially in school. Without the right support these children will struggle and will not have the chance to flourish in their learning environment. So please, if you are opposed to the changes happening across the state with the ‘Every Student Every School’ policy as I am, sign the petition, leave your comments and write to the NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and to the Premier Barry O’Farrell. Have your voice heard and stand up for our children. Defend our children and their rights to a supportive learning environment. Support teachers to ensure even more pressure is not placed upon them. Let’s make sure that the funding granted to schools is used in ways that will be spread in the right directions making it a better place to learn and thrive and to make sure that we are supporting Every Student in Every School.