Onyx Rose Lambert’s family ‘blindsided’ by timing of school event

Education Queensland has been accused of “blindsiding” the family of a teenager who suicided by scheduling one-on-one parental meetings that will clash with their planned open forum.

Onyx Rose Lambert

The grieving family of a 13-year-old child who suicided after being bullied at Beaudesert State High School has accused Education Queensland of “blindsiding” them after scheduling one-on-one parental meetings on the same day and at the same venue she had planned an open forum.

Ivy Lambert, the sister of Onyx Rose Lambert who died on July 16, said news of the other event was a “massive kick in the guts”.

Ms Lambert, who shared her family’s heartbreaking loss of Onyx exclusively with The Courier-Mail, had originally organised an open parental forum at The Centre, a public arts space in Beaudesert, for Wednesday at 4pm – a time she says most parents could easily attend. She had invited staff from the department.

However, on Monday, the school community was advised, via email from principal Grant Stephensen, that the school was hosting its own event, also on Wednesday at The Centre arts complex in Beaudesert.

Onyx Rose Lambert

The school’s event, according to the email, will be at 10.30am-12.30pm, and parents were told to book online for a 20-minute individual appointment with representatives from Education Queensland.

“I had organised an open forum, with chairs in a circle so everyone felt welcome to contribute, but now it’s being managed by the government,” Ms Lambert told The Courier-Mail.

“Many people won’t feel comfortable sharing one-on-one with someone from a government department, which is also why I wanted a proper forum, so people could share.”

Ms Lambert said she felt “blindsided” after seeing the Monday email from the principal.

Mr Stephensen’s email, seen by The Courier-Mail, said parents could book a timeslot to “engage in an individual session with a senior departmental representative to raise specific concerns you may have regarding your child’s needs and discuss any additional support and action that would be of assistance.”

He also said feedback from the two-hour “parent and carer forum” – allotting 20 minutes per family – would be used to “inform the next steps for our school community”.

Onyx Rose Lambert with sister Ivy Lambert

“If you are unable to book a time on the day, we welcome written submissions which will also be reviewed by the department,” he said.

“The strength of our community is in collective ownership and I encourage you to participate in this important opportunity so together we can strengthen and inform future approaches at Beaudesert SHS and enhance our welcoming, inclusive and accessible education environment.”

An Education Queensland spokesperson told The Courier-Mail Wednesday’s forum was organised so that individual families would be given the best opportunity to have their stories heard directly and in absolute confidence in a one-on-one meeting with a departmental officer.

“We are taking a very personalised approach so that we can support individual families and their children, listen to their experiences, and appropriately respond to any concerns that they may want to raise,” the spokesperson said.

“All families who register for the forum will be able to meet in private, and express their views openly.

“If any parent is not able to meet on Wednesday, they are more than welcome to book in a more convenient time by contacting the school.”