Media Release
9 November, 2009
The Education Revolution is by-passing students with disabilities
Last week’s announcement of the closure of Kingsdene Special School, in western Sydney demonstrates
clearly that the Rudd government’s education revolution has nothing to do with transformation and
innovation. “said Mary Lou Carter, party secretary of the Carers Alliance.
“ The education revolution is just more of the same – but this time with school halls” continues Carter.
Kingsdene Special School is a weekly boarding school in Telopea in Sydney catering to the educational
needs of students with severe and profound intellectually disability. It is a small charity-operated Special
School. After 33 years the school authority, Anglicare, has announced that critical funding shortfalls over
many years has forced the closure of this unique and amazing school model, the only one of its kind in this
country.
Mary Lou Carter whose son Nicholas leaves the school this year says “Kingsdene provides an extended
learning program for severely and profoundly intellectually disabled students with multiple disabilities
through its school and residential program. The students are given a gold-standard education with the
opportunity to spend time with their peers while their brothers and sisters can spend a little quality time with
Mum and Dad and the parents can go to work and earn a living. The students at Kingsdene develop life skills
as fundamental as spoon-feeding, toilet-training, walking and socialising with their peers and they learn
about the world through a modified academic curriculum which is individual to them. “
That this school will close is a failure of government to fund students with disabilities to meet their education
needs irrespective of the educational setting. Students with disabilities should be exempt from the
public/private debate given that disability does not recognise socio-economic and sectoral boundaries.” says
Ms Carter
Ms Carter concedes “While it is true students at Kingsdene school are funded to the maximum, it is a
maximum based on a flawed and faulty formula which funds all students with disabilities in these small-
charity operated schools, and in mainstream settings in non-government schools, at only a fraction of the
actual recurrent cost of educating a student with similar disabilities in a government school.”
Ms Carter continues ”Carers Alliance believes government has played the cheapskate and penny-pincher for
ALL students with disabilities in the government and non-government sector and continues to take an
unedifying piggy-back ride on the backs of charitable organisations to the detriment of all students with
disabilities in charity-operated and other non-government schools.”
Ms Carter says” This is the unfinished business of the state-aid debate and it's time that business was dealt
with once and for all. Carers Alliance calls on the Rudd government to stop the blame game and fund
students with disabilities to meet their educational needs, taking into consideration their disabilities,
irrespective of the educational setting.
“The Kingsdene model of education is cost-effective and cost-efficient but more importantly it
recognises and honours the unique and sacred value of the students notwithstanding their disability. The
worth and value of the school is measured by the joy of the children in each other’s company, the dedication
and devotion of the principal and her amazing staff and the tireless commitment of Anglicare in its
championing of the Kingsdene model. This is a model that should be emulated and expanded, not
diminished and closed. For its closure diminishes us all.” concludes Ms Carter
Contact: Marylou Carter, Carers Alliance Party Secretary
0425 363 421
Carers Alliance is a national political party formed to represent family carers and promote actions to
help carers support the family member/s they care for
NEWS 
