Elizabeth   Hastings

The late Hastings (1996) the Disability Discrimination Commissioner said ‘Parents of students who do not have a disability are sometimes resentful that the class in which their child is learning includes one or more students with disability. This is particularly so in schools which aim at academic excellence. These parents are aware that the teacher’s time and attention is split among students of differing ability.

Some parents are just outright prejudiced and do not like their child associated with students with disability, particularly those with obvious physical disability or with intellectual disability. Some such parents have requested that the school “get rid” of certain students with disability. Others have taken their child out of that school and enrolled him or her in another school (at that time) does not the students with disability enrolled’. 

The Disability Discrimination Act does not address the above issues. Where is the Equity?

Melville Miranda 
Victoria