Kingsdene Parent Group
Media Release 21 December, 2009
When is an olive branch really a fig-leaf? When the Federal government hides behind the fig-
leaf of policy and denies equitable funding to Kingsdene Special School students who have
severe to profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.
The one-of-a-kind charity-operated Kingsdene School will close in 2010 unless the federal
government meets it responsibilities and commits $1.2 million recurrent funds needed for the school
to remain viable and operating.
Kingsdene parents point out that reported in The Australian on 19/12/09 Ms Gillard said: “The usual
debate in Australia about schools policy is public –v- private with all the stereotypes this involves…
We should be talking about the individual schools…..this is about moving away from the prejudices of
the past.”
Parents at the unique Kingsdene Special School call on Ms Gillard to do exactly as she says and
move forward from prejudices embedded in previous policy which deny students with severe
disabilities who attend the Kingsdene Special School from equitable funding that meets their
educational needs.
Kingsdene Special School students do not receive the same funding as students with similar severe
to profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in government schools because Kingsdene is a
charity-operated school.
“We parents have made a well-researched, serious choice in selecting Kingsdene school for our
children because it has a proven track record of best meeting their significant and high support needs
and maximises their potential“ says Bernadette Moloney, whose son Charley attends Kingsdene.
“We would like Ms Gillard to do as she says and not continue to refuses to meet Federal government
responsibilities to equitably fund our children with severe to profound intellectual and multiple
disabilities simply because they attend a charity-operated school, a private school. That is
government making it at all about public –v- private. ” said Vanessa Browne, parent of Kingsdene
student Alexander.
“Yet the Federal government has offered only $350,000 “emergency funding” in 2011 and 2012,
because Kingsdene is a private school. That’s like watching someone die and only after death
attempting resuscitation” said Ms Browne.
Kingsdene Special School is a weekly boarding school for severely and profoundly intellectually
disabled students who return to their family homes every Friday for weekends and for all school
holidays.
Kingsdene students learn about the world through a modified Board of Studies curriculum and in
addition learn life skills as simple as sharing, spoon-feeding, toileting and the joys of friendship and
recreation.
Last month Mr Rudd made a bi-partisan apology to the Forgotten Australians but Kingsdene students
and other children with multiple needs who attend charity-operated schools are truly the Forgotten
Australians that our government continues to forget. In fact they want to make our children and their
families disappear.”
Kingsdene families and fair-minded Australians call yet again on Ms Gillard to act responsibly and
provide the funding needed for Kingsdene to stay alive and continue to serve children with severe to
profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.
Media contacts and Kingsdene parent representatives Bernadette Moloney 0409 200 660 and
Vanessa Browne 0403 752 111
NEWS 
