When the System Fails Our Children, Parents Rise.

Speaking as Mothers, Not Just Advocates

On Wednesday 12 June 2024, I sat in front of the Victorian Parliament’s Legal and Social Issues Committee, heart pounding. Next to me was fellow parent advocate Amelia Matlock. Neither of us are politicians or researchers by trade, though I serve as Vice President of SPELD Victoria, I am the Founder of Dyslexia Victoria Support, and Amelia is Vice Chair of the Code Read Dyslexia Network. But on that day, we were not there in those roles. We were there as mothers.

We were nervous. Two mums who had spent years fighting for our children to be taught how to read, finally sitting at the table where decisions are made. It was a long way from the school meetings, the emails, and the classrooms we knew so well. But it was where we needed to be.

Our Stories Were Too Familiar

We shared our personal stories because we know too many families whose stories never reach that room. I spoke about my husband “Michael,” who was failed by the education system in the 1980s. And I spoke about our son “Jayden,” who decades later was failed in much the same way. (Names have been changed for privacy.)

“Two generations. One system. Still broken.”

I did everything I was told to do — I read to him every night, I asked his school for help, I sought professional guidance, and I even wrote letters to ministers. The replies were polite but empty. And still, my son couldn’t read.

“You start off trusting the system. You end up doing the job of the system — with a specialist tutor or speech pathologist by your side.”

Amelia spoke about her son’s experience, too — a bright child who ended Grade 1 unable to read or write his own name. Before any proper assessment was done, he was offered a program for children with disabilities. It was only through sheer determination and private tutoring that she uncovered the truth: he was dyslexic.

“When a system can’t recognise a bright child with dyslexia, it’s the system that’s failing — not the child.”

“I shouldn’t have had to become an expert in structured literacy just so my child could get through school.”

The Harm Was Preventable

We’ve both seen what happens to a child when the ability to read doesn’t come. We’ve watched the confidence fade, the anxiety grow, the tears of frustration, the fear of being called on in class. We’ve felt the sting of being told “some kids just aren’t academic,” when in truth, the instruction had failed them — not their minds.

But we weren’t there to complain. We brought solutions — ones backed by science, used successfully in other states, and already working in a handful of Victorian schools.

We called for evidence-based teaching methods like systematic synthetic phonics, explicit teaching, decodable readers instead of leveled guessing books, proper assessment and early screening, well-trained teachers, and transparent communication with families. We highlighted the successes of schools that had already made the shift, showing what was possible when schools embraced the science of reading.

What’s Happened in Victoria Since

Since our appearance before the Committee, there have been major developments in Victoria’s approach to literacy — many of them announced by the Deputy Premier, Minister for Education Ben Carroll MP, since June 2024.

• From 2025, Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) will be mandated in all Victorian primary schools, ensuring that Prep to Year 2 students receive at least 25 minutes of daily, explicit phonics and phonemic awareness instruction, link here.

• $5 million in targeted funding has been allocated to schools for purchasing decodable readers, whiteboards, and hands-on resources to support structured literacy, link here.

• The Department launched Phonics Plus+, a new program with decodable readers and scripted, evidence-aligned lessons, link here.

• The English Online Interview (EOI) will become optional in 2025, allowing schools to choose more responsive and useful early screening tools, and will become mandatory in 2026, link here.

• Most critically, teacher training in explicit instruction and SSP will now be rolled out through the Department of Education — a vital step in translating policy into everyday classroom practice.

“We’ve seen some big announcements – and that’s a win for families. But we need follow-through. It’s not enough to change a policy. It has to reach the classroom.” – Amelia

The Fight Isn’t Over

These policy shifts are encouraging — but they are only the beginning.

Balanced Literacy is still the default method in many schools. Reading Recovery is still in use despite being discredited by decades of research and lived experience. Children are still being taught to guess words. Parents are still told to “wait and see.” And teachers are still working without the training or tools they need.

This isn’t good enough. Not for our children. Not for our future.

We must keep going — because change on paper isn’t the same as change in practice.

What Australian Parents Can Do

We don’t have to accept that our children will be taught using outdated, debunked methods. We can act.

You can:

• Write to your local MP. Ask whether they still support Balanced Literacy or Reading Recovery.

• Contact your State Minister for Education. Ask what they're doing to train teachers in SSP and explicit instruction.

• Join state-based parent advocacy groups like Dyslexia Victoria Support.

• Join a state-based organisation like SPELD or Code Read. Your membership strengthens the voice of every child.

• Ask your school: What reading method do you use? Are the books decodable or predictable/leveled? Are your teachers trained in SSP?

• Educate yourself — not because you should have to, but because it helps you stand firm when advocating for your child.

Together, we can push outdated programs out of our classrooms. We can ensure that no child is left behind because of the way they were taught to read.

A Final Reflection

As parents, we are used to waiting. Waiting for someone to listen. Waiting for our children to get help. Waiting for systems to change.

But what Amelia and I have both learned is this:

"Parents are the power behind the push — they don't wait for permission to make change happen."

Our submission was shaped by many — the parents who shared their stories, the academics who shared their research, and the professionals who lent their strength to ours.

This wasn’t just about our children. It was about all of them.

If you’re a parent reading this, feeling dismissed or overwhelmed, please know:

You are not overreacting.

You are not alone.

You are not wrong to ask for more.

I never wanted to be an advocate. I just wanted my children to be able to read.

But I’ll keep showing up. And so will Amelia.

Because the system may be slow to change — but we won’t stop asking it to do better.

Will you speak up too?

References

You can read the Final Report from the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into the State Education System in Victoria. Melbourne, October 2024. here.

You can also read the official transcript from the hearing held on Wednesday 12 June 2024, featuring Amelia Matlock and Heidi Gregory, here.

To connect to Dyslexia Victoria Support click here.