Did you know that 13% of students at Melrose Primary School identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?

According to Trevor Cobbold at SOS Canberra, Melrose Primary is one of 10 Canberra schools where more than 5% of enrolments are indigenous students. And 7 of these 10 schools are proposed for closure, or being reduced to amalgamated or P-3 models.

Like all Melrose students from 2007, these students will also have to take more time and money travelling to school by bus or car, buy new uniforms to fit into their new school, and all the other difficulties that go with losing our local school.

But because inidigenous students are disproportionately affected by school closures, we also run the risk of taking a backwards step in improving educational outcomes for indigenous students.

Melrose is one of Canberra’s most inclusive public schools. As well as our indigenous students, we have a fantastic special needs facility for students with autism. Being in a district with so many diplomatic families, there are students from a wide range of cultures.

Equity is not about treating everyone the same. It is about treating everyone fairly. It is fair to ensure that everyone has access to quality public education.