Sawyer and Marianna
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘These children have abilities … there’s so much potential there but if you can’t un-tap it … you lose it. And society loses it, because these kids … they end up in jail, they end up committing crime.’
Marianna told the Royal Commission her 16-year-old son Sawyer ‘thrived’ when he was young. However once he started school the education system failed to support him.
Sawyer struggled to learn to read. He became agitated and anxious and refused to go to school.
The school could see Sawyer was struggling, but told Marianna he was ‘lazy’ and ‘needed to try harder’.
Sawyer’s school refusal became difficult to manage and Marianna questioned the school’s teaching methods.
She moved Sawyer to a smaller private school. She said the new school’s attitude was ‘leave it to us’. They were confident they could help him learn to read. He didn’t refuse to go to school and seemed more settled. But over the years Sawyer fell ‘further and further behind’.
Marianna arranged for an expert to assess Sawyer and he was diagnosed with dyslexia. Marianna was ‘over the moon’ because finally Sawyer had a concrete diagnosis explaining why he was falling behind. Marianna approached the school armed with the expert’s recommendations.
The school had ‘very little understanding of what dyslexia was’ and the type of instruction required.
‘When my son, in grade 3 got the diagnosis, the first thing the teacher said to me was “Oh well, we won’t get him to do NAPLAN then.” That was the very first thing she said.’
It became apparent to Marianna the school was simply incapable of implementing the recommendations. While teachers have good intentions, she says, they are not graduating from university with an understanding of contemporary evidence based teaching methods.
Marianna said Sawyer’s individual lesson plans were inadequate, non-specific and lacked accountability, making Sawyer’s progress hard to measure. Sawyer was quiet and ‘flew under the radar’ and because he didn’t cause trouble, teachers were happy.
Marianna paid for therapies and literary coaching as there was no government funding available. ‘Dyslexia doesn’t fit anywhere,’ she says. As a single parent she has found it very difficult financially. She says both she and Sawyer would benefit from seeing a psychologist and occupational therapist, but the costs are prohibitive.
‘I know that my son has not reached his potential from an educational point of view.’
Sawyer continues to ‘hate school’ but loves the one day a week he studies agriculture. He loves animals and hopes to work on a farm.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.