About the episode

Israel was born with Down syndrome, but his mum Sunshine can’t see why that should exclude him from a mainstream classroom. The problem is, lots of local schools think he’d be happier “with his own kind”. This is the story of Sunshine and Israel’s fight for inclusion.

Episode 5 of the All Things Equal podcast explores disability inclusion and exclusion, segregation, ‘Special Schools’ and inequality within the Australian education system. It follows Sunshine’s struggle to find a mainstream school for her son and how this impacted their family. We also speak to inclusive education expert Dr Kathy Cologon about students with disabilities and why segregation in the classroom leads to worse outcomes.

A podcast that will change the way you think about education

We pride ourselves on an egalitarian society, but how equal are we? All Things Equal is an investigative podcast going to the root of inequality in our society. We’ll take you to meet the people affected most, and those trying to turn things around. Season 2, ‘Uniform’ looks at the great equaliser — education. We discover what happens to kids who fall between the cracks and meet some remarkable people who’ve been there to catch them.

All Things Equal is a 2SER podcast made in collaboration with the Centre of Social Justice and Inclusion at the University of Technology Sydney and is hosted by Verity Firth.

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