PETITION - To State Government - UPDATED 29/11/2008

UPDATE 29th November, 2008

The update on the Petition to State Govt; Over 10,000 people have signed the petition to the State Government to support the creation of a Blind School now. A HUGE acknowledgement and WELL DONE to the SCORES of supporters who have campaigned to collect signatures on the Petition for a BLIND SCHOOL NOW!

AS this is being written, the completed petitions are being collected (by stalwart spokesperson Alan Lachman - who is driving all around Melbourne to collect them) and the petitions will be HANDED IN to the State Government next week (week commencing 1st December, 2008). There is no need to download and collect any further signatures, at this stage. STAY TUNED for news on the results of the Petition.

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CAN we please have your support?

Please post your comments below to show your support for BLIND SCHOOL NOW!

As well, download a COPY of the petition from HERE-

....have your friends and family sign it in order that the Victorian Government can learn how important this matter is to its electorate.

When you have completed the petition, call the CO-ORDINATOR, Alan LACHMAN, on 0421 582 462 to arrange to have the signed petition be collected - or posted.

PETITION to LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

To the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, the Petition of Coalition for a Blind School NOW! supported by the general public as petitioners draw to the attention of the House

that Vision Australia’s announced closure of Victoria’s only Blind & Vision Impaired school (the old RVIB) located in Burwood, means integrating into mainstream State Government schools ALL Blind or Vision Impaired children. There will no longer be a suitable specialist educational facility in the State of Victoria.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria provide, by the beginning of school year 2010, a fully functioning specialist Educational Facility for students who are Blind/Vision Impaired with or without additional needs, with access to core curriculum and expanded core curriculum and necessary therapy services.

Comments

[Linda McLachlan]

I am deeply concerned about the closure of the School for the Blind,my grandson attends this school,he and his mother moved from country Victoria so that he could attend the school full time as he could not cope in a mainstream school.So how on earth do they think that he could cope now after 3 very happy years at Burwood.A new school is needed for these children.

[Alan Singer]

I call upon sensible people everywhere to become aware of this issue and give support to the Coalition for Blind School Now.
It is clear to me from listening to some of the parents of children at the school and numerous alumni of the school that a specialist facility of the typpe being closed down by Vision Australia is ESSENTIAL to the well-being of these children.
It is ironic in more than one sense that Vision Australia can't "see" this!!

[Lyn Hawkins]

please can you include on this site the details of where and to whom we mail the petition.

[Pat Nelson]

Without a specialist educational facility, visually impaired children in Victoria will be deprived of one of their most important human rights:an appropriate education. There is an abundance of evidence to show that mainstream schools cannot provide this, no matter how well intentioned their efforts have been.

[Tricia Rowley]

I have close friends whose son attends the Vision Australia School at Burwood. Unless an appropriate school is built to replace the Burwood school before the end of 2009, he will be forced to attend a mainstream school full time. At present he attends the Blind School 4 days a week and a mainstream school for one day. I am an Integration Aide in a mainstream school and know for a fact that their son's curriculum and life skills needs cannot be met by full time attendance at a mainstream school. He must be able to continue accessing his education through both schools. For this Blind School to cease would be unforgiveable!!

[leanne woodman]

my daughter attends the VA school in Burwood. If she is 'forced' into a mainstream school setting, she will not be able to participate in swimming carnivals, athletics carnivals, join a sporting team etc. She will feel more EXCLUDED than included. At the VA school, she was accepted and able to partake in all activities. Now that Kevin Rudd has given each state a few million dollars for health and education, surely Mr Brumby can build us a blind school?