When Kristina Keneally became Premier she reassured that Dalwood will not be closed. Dalwood provides assessment and remedial support for children living in rural and regional New South Wales who are experiencing severe learning disorders. In December last year, the Premier pledged that children from Dalwood would not be left without the programs the school offers until an alternative was in place.
Last week, the school finally shut its doors to students. The Dalwood Assessment Centre and the Palm Avenue boarding school was closed and its 15 specialised staff have been made redundant. According to SMH, health and education officials have not been able to find a new location to house the 100 children already referred to a four-week stay over the next two terms and cannot agree on an alternative program.
One concerned and disheartened parent wrote:
The Dalwood and Palm Avenue Service has been a Godsend to our family and has helped our son achieve educational results once thought unimaginable for him. In Minister Firth’s statement, she said all was well with the service and parents had nothing to fear. Unfortunately, some of the Minister’s points were wrong.
Like many other families, I have been on the phone attempting to find out what service will be available to my son this year. We are being referred to people who have no complete understanding of how Dalwood and Palm Avenue work or how important they are. There are no clear details apart from those of the service’s dismantling.
We know that portions of the service have already been moved to demountable accommodation in Westmead. We believe that Children’s Hospital Education Research Institute (CHERI) at Westmead have no space, staff or vision to take on the Dalwood /Palm Avenue case load, contrary to the Minister’s statement.
We know that the Residential Accommodation at Seaforth is now empty and cannot be used again for this purpose. We know that the staff supporting the residential program left last year. We know that the residential service is usually run from the beginning of each year and were due to see children on their list from day one of term one this year, in contrast to what the Minister said.
We are told there will be no new referrals to the Service at present. We know that the Director of Dalwood Assessment Centre has resigned and will not be replaced. We know that the remaining specialist staff at Dalwood will no longer be required after Term 2 or 3.
I resent being told that all is well on this issue when those we are told to speak to about our children have no details about how the service will be delivered, to whom, by whom and where….I resent that an important public resource like this is being vandalised and that the individuals responsible are not being held accountable….”
This decision has angered hundreds of parents and people involved with Dalwood and the Palm Avenue boarding school. The closing of Dalwood will leave many students from rural and regional NSW without the specialist help they need to overcome their learning difficulties.
Children with severe learning difficulties should be in a school environment where they can continually improve their current situation. Instead, vulnerable students are learning in a clinical hospital. Dalwood has an excellent reputation for effective face-face diagnosis and teaching. Assessments are provided free of charge and is conducted by a professional team comprising clinical psychologists, speech pathologists, special education teachers and a medical officer. Closing Dalwood is yet another poor decision that reflects badly on the NSW Government.