Jolanda Challita 24 April 2003, Mr B O’Farrell MP ‘Shadow Minister for Education & Training Shadow Special Minister of State Parliament House Macquarie Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Mr O°Farrell 1 refer to yous letter dated | April 2003 for which I thank you Thave recently received a determination from the Ombudsman’s office after I requested that the matter be reviewed telling me that the matter will not be looked at again and agreeing with the first determination. A copy of that fetter is enclosed; I have also been informed that I have no avenues to have the decision reviewed, even though none of the sues have actually been addressed and the decision is based on information provided by the Department which are lies and misrepresentations and do not actually match the documents produced under the FOI Act AIL did was exercised my right to ask for a review, {had to request separate reviews for the different issues as they are looked at separately, I believe that I had justifiable good reasons to request a review as per my letter replying to Mr. Morse letter and I also believed that it was my right 10 ask for a review. As a result of this Me. Barbour of the Ombudsman’s office has interpreted my requests for review as that as that it appears that Tam unwilling to accept any view that does not accord with my conclusions and then he has used this interpretation as a good enough excuse/reason to not have to address the questions and issues that I brought up in the request for review The Department of Education is presenting me as a very negative light and as a person who just wont be satisfied and this is not true and this is affecting how people address these issues, I truly don’t deserve this as all I ever did was try to be an advocate for my childrens’ rights as my children were suffering a lot of educational neghee\ and psychological distress. My children have special educational needs and they have beenare being seriously hurt by the attitude of the system and my family's good name has been seriously affected. enclose herewith for your information copy of a letter in reply to the Ombudsman’s Jetter that together with attachments and which sets out my replies to his original determination As a result of these issues I made enquiries with the Anti-Diserimination board and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity board about my children rights and asking for help only to find to my horror that it appears that itis not illegal to discriminate against children that are gifted. ‘The Anti-Discrimination board and the Civil and Human rights board only take on issues in respect of discrimination or victimisation based on race, gender, sex, disability just to name a few but it appears that it is perfectly legal to discriminate against children for other reasons, my children and family have no means of redress or support and my children don't descrve this. It also appears that the Department has ne cesponsibility whatsoever for providing appropriate education or protecting our meeting our children’s emotional, intellectual or social needs, My children were targeted because I brought up issues in respect of the education of gifted children, my children were both targeted more than once. What bas been done to my children is wrong. Children shouldn’t have to pay or suffer for the complaints or actions of their parents, am at a toss as to understand how in a country like Australia children can be treated with such discrimination, disregard for their well being and with such indifference and the people tespontsible not have to answer fo anybody and that these children cannot find anybody to support or help them As a parent [ am full of despair for my children. {ask that you please help my children and family. ‘Yours sincerely Jolanda Challita