2018-11-14
The complainant’s 17-year-old daughter has auditory processing disorder, memory problems, learning difficulties and anxiety. The complainant’s daughter attended the respondent public high school but was often absent due to her disability. The complainant claimed the school gave her daughter poor marks in some subjects due to low attendance, but took no steps to ascertain the reason for the absences or to accommodate her disability. The complainant claimed that her daughter was therefore not eligible to complete her final year of school exams.
The school claimed it accommodated the complainant’s daughter’s disability in line with recommendations by her audiologist and psychologist. The school claimed it tried to meet with the complainant and her daughter to discuss the daughter’s non-attendance, but this did not occur.
The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the school review its policies regarding support for students with disability, deliver training to wellbeing officers regarding appropriate responses to identified mental health issues and refer the complainant’s daughter to a career advisor at a nearby high school. The school also agreed to write to the complainant acknowledging her dissatisfaction with the support her daughter received while at the school and pay her $3,000 towards psychological support for her daughter.
Year
Discrimination type
Disability Discrimination Act
Grounds
Disability
Unlawful to contravene Disability Standards
Areas
Disability Standards
Education
Apology - Private
Compensation
Education - other
Amount
$3,000