Cmr Mason: "There’s been sig. work for last 10yrs on Closing the Gap. Education is always a fundamental area of change. We are in an era of evidence based practice. In your experience, what’s the likelihood of us being able to draw on consistent data across States/ Territories?"
Prof. Graham: "We don’t have the data we need to do it properly. It is my fervent hope that this #DisabilityRC can make this [access to data] happen.
Interesting observation by Prof.Graham "When I was looking at Closing the Gap I saw 'attendance' is a goal, yet it’s not one we’ve made any progress on in last 10yrs. Meanwhile 'Exclusion/Suspension' is not mentioned, nor is reducing exclusion/suspension a goal. #DisabilityRC
Prof. Graham added the very insightful observation from some of her Indigenous students who have said ...
“it’s a bit stupid eh, when you get suspended for wagging”.
In closing Maria Scharnke provides the #DisabilityRC her key message:
“Disability is not something that should need to be accommodated for. This sounds ridiculous, but hear me out…
It should be accepted as part of the natural spectrum of human diversity.
There should be no need whatsoever to go above & beyond to ensure children with disability have access to an education. Because, there shouldn't be a system, a world, a country or department that perpetuates systematic inequities, inequalities & discrimination.
There should be no need to have to go out of one’s way.
No matter how much effort one puts in to ensure a PWD has their right to an education being met (or to anything at all being met) this should not be seen as great achievement, or as going above & beyond.
While we have great respect for Prof McCallum and his legacy and appreciate this is research paper is an ambitious task of incredibly broad scope, we are surprised by assertions made about Article 24 #CRPD#DisabilityRC@DRC_AU
Prof McCallum’s #DisabilityRC paper seeks to provide an overview of complex subject matter requiring deep knowledge of all articles of #CRPD & treaty body jurisprudence that has clarified and elaborated on their meaning in the 15 years since the 2006 adoption of the CRPD @DRC_AU
This statement on p.119 is, in our view, incorrect. It is inconsistent with General Comments No.4 & No. 6, Australian CRPD review Concluding Observations in 2013 & 2019, evidence by @UN experts at #DisabilityRC and another @DRC_AU research paper by @RosemaryKayess@therese_sands