Jolanda Challita 17 January 2004 ‘The Premier Mr Bob Carr MP FAX: 9228 3062 Level 39 Governer Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Sir RE: CONSPIRACY IN SELECTIVE SCHOOLS UNIT On 30 December 2002, 17 February 2003 and 24 June 2003 | sent correspondence to you enclosing documents that were produced under the FOI Act in respect of Selection Procedures for selective schools that showed alarming discrepancies, numerous deletions, numerous omissions and numerous changing of scores, very biased and discriminatory ‘commentary and a serious misrepresentation of the facts for both my children’s Opportunity Class and Selective Schools test. ‘You acknowledged receipt of all my letters and advised me that you had requested your colleague to carefillly consider my letter and that my correspondence will receive close attention During the course of this matter the Department of Education has not at any time actually addressed the issues that | have put before them, neither has the Ombudsman or Minister for Education, some excuse have been made, excuses that have not addressed the issues, some information has been referred to as fact — despite the fact that the documents does ‘not support this and any request from me to have the matter properly and fairly investigated has just led to the seme persons having a look at it again and confirming that the investigation has been adequately completed. ‘The Department of Education have presented this matter in a way that has ensured that my children have not been dealt with, fairly or objectively. The Department has used the excuse that since the moderating of test scores is very complex, nobody with understand it and that because selection is on academic merit and | only believed that my children’s actual test scores had been tampered with and | couldn't actually prove it, then I had no case and this determinationformed the basis for everything else that followed to be ignored. Evidence that has recently come to light that shows that my fears were well-founded, The problem is that the Selective Schools Unit selection procedures has 3 totally different stages that it goes through and the Department has deliberately not made this clear to those that have looked at the matter just focusing on the fact that I couldn’t prove that my children’s tests marks had been tampered with a the first instance, when in fact my children have been failed at every stage of the process as follows and I have substantial evidence to prove it STAGE |. Opportunity Class and Selective High School Test marks. My children and | have always believed that the test marks that we were advised that my children achieved in their Opportunity Class and Selective High Schools test did not represent any of the results and achievements in all their years of education and therefore we believed that they could very well have been tampered with. What most people don't know is that ACER marks the tests and sends them to the Selective Schools Unit who scales and moderates the marks, so essentially the SSU has access to do whatever they want with the marks. I have been insistent that ACER provide me with certified copies of my children’s results. Recently on a so called certified true and accurate copy of my children's test results that I received there were 61 answers to 60 questions. ‘The Solicitor that I have instructed in this matter wrote to the Selective Schools Unit and Mr Bob Wingrave wrote back with the excuse that my son’s second initial inadvertently slipped onto the next line and formed part of the answers. Problem with that excuse is, apart from the obvious one, my son doesn't have a second name and therefore he cannot have a second initial! Department has also failed to address why there is also an answer missing! Documents also don't match the information that | obtained when I went to the Departments premises to check what they also said were true and accurate copies of my children’s results. I can certainly see what has been done to my children's results! STAGE 2. Matter goes before Selection Committee for consideration: Documents produced under FOI Act show that incorrect scores were used to determine placement for both my children. There are numerous omissions, deletions and numerous changing of scores shown on documents etc. STAGE 3. Matter goes before Appeals Panel: Appeal analysis produced by Selective Schools unit is heavily biased and presents a Serious misrepresentation of the facts, there are omissions and deletions, Incorrect and much lower score also provided to the Appeals panel on which to base their decision. ~-The Selective Schools unit at an earlier date accidentally sent me a copy of my daughters Data Sheet, it got stuck by a paper clip behind the letter advising of my children’s marks and that Data Sheet doesn't match the one produced under the FOLVery interesting information in relation to one of the changing of the scores to a much lower score has been deleted. ‘There are many more documents and evidence to suggest a conspiracy against my family in the Selective Schools unit and I believe against gifted children, Sadly, I know of other parents of gifted children who advocated for their children's needs who were dealt with the same way and who have similar disturbing documents produced under the FOI in relation to Selection procedures. My children are suffering. My son does not have a school to go to and is at present being home schooled much to my despair, My son desperately needs support, understanding and to be placed in a Selective School, the schools best suited to meet his identified needs. My children have suffered for years at the hands of the system and not once has anybody ever asked my children whether they are okay and whether they need any help of support, instead they have been put down, marked down and humiliated. ‘When I started bringing up issues in respect of my children’s education many years ago it was because my children were suffering physical and psycological problems due to the Psychological and emotional trauma the neglect that they were suffering was causing them. “My children have been extremely unwell for years and it was obvious to my family that their ailments were caused by their psychological state and emotions, school issues being the major contributing factor and it is a fact that my daughter last year after suffering severe illness was diagnosed with an “Active Mycoplasma Infection” for which she was treated with antibiotics. An infection that apparently the majority of people appear to carry and that nobody seems to be aware of and that is activated by stress and causes the problems that my children were and are suffering including depression, chronic fatigue, migraines, joint pain, lethargy, speech problems, just to name a few. 1am at a point where it seems obvious to me that unless somebody dies the Government isnot going to act. Research has shown that highly gifted children are at significantly higher risk of depression and suicide. I am not going to sit back and wait until one of my children takes their own life in despaur.......I write to let you know that I can take no more despair. My children have been and are being scriousty educationally and emotionally neglected, they have been discriminated against, victimized and we have been vilified. My children were purposely kept out Selective Schools and the Department is trying to cover it up. My son does not have a school to attend this year as his applications for year 8 for 4 Selective High Schools were once again handled by the same people involved at the Selective Schools Unit involved in the above - and he was ‘once again unsuccessful despite the fact that my son has been identified a very highly intellectually gifted child on numerous occasions and is a consistent high achiever and despite the fact that I advised them of the psychological, emotional, social, educational and physical issues that this is causing my son... How can this possibly be considered just or fair? {appears to me that the only way that this matter is going to be addressed isto bring it to the attention of the public and I am writing to let you know that unless the issues are