Representations

HERE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS WE REPRESENT SCHOOL CONNECTION FOR SERIOUSLY SICK KIDS AND THE INTERESTS OF THEIR SIBLINGS, FAMILIES AND CARERS

Advocacy And Activism

• Commissioning Australian-first research, School connection for seriously sick kids: who are they, how do we know what works and whose job is it?
• Achieving a front-page Canberra Times story, and national media coverage for the launch of our Australian-first research.
• Achieving a statement of support from the Prime Minister and the National Children’s Commissioner.
• Referencing the personal experiences of parent founding members which inspired MissingSchool’s inception.
• Presenting Darcy Gilmour’s plea at the Parliament House media launch based on his experience of school separation through illness and the need for this work.
• Presenting the stories of student, Patrick Vann, and his mother, Joanne Chivers, at the Parliament House media launch.
• Petitioning with a statement from the Chair and Management Committee members and through question and answers at the media launch.
• Achieving a nationally trending media story on the issue and work of MissingSchool through print, radio, and television media coverage.
• Representing the issue to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministers for Education and Health and other state and federal politicians.
• Advocating through formal submissions.
• Presented to staff of the Australian Capital Territory Education and Training Directorate (ACT-EDT) on the issues and challenges of missing school from the perspective of a kid diagnosed with cancer.
• Represented the family perspective on a panel discussion to launch the Victoria Institute report - Young Australians, Illness and Education (authored by Julie White and Karen Rosauer).
• Represented the family and child perspective to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (Australia)
• Presented at ACT Council of Australian Social Services Annual Conference in August 2016
• Presented at Sunday Assembly Canberra in December 2016
• Presented at National Youth Health Conference in July 2017

Representations made through meetings and phone calls

• The Prime Minister’s Office – 12/10/2016
• Office of the Commonwealth Minister for Education – 12/10/2016; 22/02/2016
• Office of the Commonwealth Minister for Health – 12/10/2016
• Office of the Leader of the Opposition – 12/10/2016
• Office of the Shadow Minister for Education – 12/10/2016
• Office of the Secretary, Social Policy Caucus Committee – 13/10/2016
• Office of the Chair, Coalition Education Policy Committee – 14/10/2016
• Office of the Minister for Education, NSW – 29/04/2016; 17/06/2016
• Senator Katy Gallagher – 04/06/2016

Representations made through correspondence

• MissingSchool made written representations to Commonwealth and State and Territory politicians with responsibility for education and health portfolios.
• The list of people contacted can be found at Write To Your MP.

Representations to educators and health professionals

• Invitation to become a representative on the national H.E.L.P Alliance Committee – 11/03/2016
• Commonwealth Department of Education and Training – 21/03/2016
• ACT Education and Training Directorate – 28/04/2016
• Presentation of the parent perspective at The Grand Rounds Seminar Series -jointly sponsored by the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne – 05/2016.
• NSW Department of Education and Minister for Education’s Office – 17/06/2016
• Presented at ACT Education and Training Directorate staff forum on keeping seriously sick kids connected – 08/2016
• Discussed an approach to tabling the issue with the Secretary of the Education Council under COAG – 10/2016
• Represented the issue by interview to the ACT Students with Disability Resource Allocation consultation led by former Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes – 11/2016
• Pursued renewed connection with Commonwealth Education Minister Birmingham’s office – 03/2017
• Introduction of telepresence-robots to Commonwealth Department of Education and Training – 04/2017
• Sought and achieved agreement from ACT Education Minister and Directorate to participate in small-scale trial of telepresence robot technology to connect sick kids to school when they are absent – 06/2017
• Represented Churchill Fellowship Findings to Commonwealth Department of Education and Training – 08/2017
• Represent school connection for seriously sick kids through national tele-presence robot pilot to ACT Education Ministry and Chief Minister's office – 08/2017
• Continued contribution to and role on ACT Education Disability Education Reference Group, national Health-Education-Learners-Parents Committee (including informing the development of, and presenting at the H.E.L.P. Conference held in 09/2017), and Sydney Children’s Hospital Kids’ Cancer Centre Parent Advisory Committee – Ongoing

Representations to other public offices

• The Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce, AV CVO -- 14/02/2014
• Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner – October, 2015
• Ms Dianne Gidlin, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council of State School Organisations, NSW – 29/10/2015
• Mr Ross Fox, Executive Director, The National Catholic Education Commission, NSW – 29/10/2015
• Mr Chris Watt, Federal Secretary, Independent Education Union of Australia, ACT – 29/10/2015
• Ms Colette Colman, Acting Executive Director, The Independent Schools Council of Australia, ACT – 29/10/2015
• Mr Stephen Metcalfe, Secretary, Education Council under Council of Australian Governments - 04/10/2016
• Engaged with all major party candidates prior to the ACT Election – before 15/10/2016
• The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove - 13/02/2017
• Represent school connection for seriously sick kids through national tele-presence robot pilot to His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove – 12/2017

Representation through the Disability Education Reference Group

• Since March 2015, MissingSchool has held a place on the ACT Disability Education Reference Group (DERG). We attended quarterly meetings and gave a verbal submission to the DERG on the findings of our Australian-first research. We petitioned the DERG to advocate for an ACT submission on the matter to the Education Council (under Council of Australian Governments).
• Presentation to Disability Education Reference Group on the national launch of the report School connection for seriously sick kids: who are they, how do we know what works, and whose job is it? – 10//11/2015.

Keeping Seriously Sick Kids Connected Forum

• MissingSchool and ACT Education and Training Directorate co-hosted a professional development forum for teachers and school leaders on issues relating to school connection for seriously sick kids. MissingSchool presented at the forum.