Connor Meldrum’s crew petition NSW Education for HSC permission

After shattering his skull in a cliff fall in 2019, Connor Meldrum has battled many challenges, but now his mates have taken on the NSW Education Standards Authority.

CONNOR'S CREW HSC PLEA: The friends of Trinity College Year 12 student Connor Meldrum who suffered life threatening head injuries after a cliff fall, have started a petition to request the NSW Education Standards Authority allow him to complete his HSC with his friends in 2021.

Good friends are like gold, they stick with you when times are tough – and times can’t get much tougher for Trinity College student Connor Meldrum.

Connor, 17, has to learn to speak, read and write again after a cliff fall at Byron Bay in 2019.

His close mates have started a petition through Campaigns By Me via GetUp to appeal to the NSW Minister Education Sarah Mitchell and the NSW Education Standards Authority to appeal for him to be able to complete his HSC this year.

Connor’s friends Bronte, Ivy, Kai, Lily and Luka have created a petition posted by Lily’s mum Rebecca Kocass, requesting Ms Mitchell direct NESA to allow Connor special consideration to complete his HSC this year so he can complete his studies at the same time as his friends.

For Connor, who has his heart set on finishing his HSC with his friends, their efforts “mean everything”.

After undergoing significant surgeries and feeling low, he said his friends support had helped him to maintain a positive approach which is critical to his recovery.

“I met my friends in Year 8 and Year 9 and they really came together in Year 10 when I had my accident, they really stepped up,” Connor said.

“It’s obviously amazing they set this petition up for me as I was feeling a bit cornered at school.

“I did not feel like I had many options with my HSC and they made me see there’s another way around.”

Connor said he’s currently studying HSC biology, advanced maths and Italian.

“My Italian class friends and I want to go to Italy sometime, that’s the plan,” he said.

“I am really hoping I can finish this year with my friends.

“It means a lot to think that I don’t to have to study for another year on my own.”

His mother Kim Goodrick, said she was moved by her son’s wonderful friends and the lengths they had gone to.

“There needs to be a process for students with life-threatening illness in Year 12 to have reasonable adjustments to finish their HSC with friends,” she said.

“This is not only about Connor, it’s about all youngsters doing their HSC, no matter if they are undergoing chemo … or any other life-threatening illness.

“The trouble is to take NESA to court means it can take years and money to battle the system, but no-one challenges them because they can’t afford it, so it ends with the kids and their families being resilient and battling through the HSC, or the kids dropped out or they are dead.”

Ms Goodrick said Connor’s friends “are incredible”.

“Initially all the kids wanted the whole of the Year 12 and maybe the parents to sign the petition,” she said.

“Connor was doing amazingly well, even after the accident he got back to school, finished Years 10 and 11 and started term one of Year 12.

“In that time at the end of Year 11 he was in the top eight of all of his subjects.”

The friends now have one key goal.

“What we really want is for Connor to be able to complete his HSC in 2021,” they said.

“Connor has been denied any special considerations from NSW Education Standards Authority meaning he is unable to complete his HSC this year with his friends.”

BRAVE BOY: The rescue of 15 year old Connor Meldrum in March 2019 after he fell at the Cosy Corner cliffs near the Cape Byron Lighthouse.

Lily Schumack, 17, is one of the friends who is championing for Connor to be allowed to graduate this year.

“When we heard Connor would not graduate with the rest of us we wanted to help,” she said.

“We thought we should do something that would be effective.”

Lily said the friends were not asking NESA to give Connor something he has not already earned through years of hard work.

“This is not fair,” Lily said.

“NESA should extrapolate his work from Year 11 as well as his first term of Year 12.

“He has worked so hard through all his schooling.”

In the campaign post, his friends said “Connor had to learn to speak, read and write all over again and amazed his doctors and teachers with his recovery”.

“Later that year, he was back at school and went on to complete Year 10, 11 and term 1 of Year 12 (and) he worked incredibly hard over this time to catch up,” the post said.

“In January this year, Connor had to undergo an unexpected emergency operation to remove his skull plate.

“This was a terrible setback after so much hard work and was very frightening for Connor, his family and friends.”

THANK YOU: In 2019, Connor Meldrum, Kim Goodrick (mum) and Dr David Meldrum (dad), meet New South Wales Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic Rolly Murcott and praise the medical and retrieval team from the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter who rescued Connor and helped save his life. Photo: Marc Stapelberg

The post said that after weeks in hospital he rejoined Year 12 at school.

“Due to fatigue and frequent headaches, Connor is on a reduced workload managing three subjects out of the five needed to complete the HSC.

“He will also have to undergo two further surgeries this year in August / September.

“Despite evidence of his academic record, the reports of his teachers and examples of other students with illnesses who have been given special considerations to complete their HSC, NESA simply ruled out any option for him to complete his HSC in 2021 “because it would be unfair on other students”.

But his friends said Connor had worked hard to be able to complete his HSC this year.

“He has spoken about the effects that this setback has had on his mental health, and how it would affect him if he isn’t able to graduate with his cohort,” the post said.

“This is where you can help. Sign this petition to send a message to NESA that his peers and supporters believe there should be special considerations for Connor to complete his HSC in 2021.”

At the time of publication more than 5,490 people had contributed their names towards the 6,000 goal.

Ms Kocass said she was “delighted and thrilled” so many people have responded.

But on Sunday, May 30, a NESA spokeswoman said their decision was final.

“NESA applauds the courage of all HSC students with disability and recognises the support provided to these students by families, friends and schools,” she said.

“The HSC requires 10 units of HSC courses.

“That is the rule for everyone.

“We have support systems in place and we work closely with schools to help students with disability get across the finishing line.”

The spokeswoman said the 10 units could be completed over multiple years and provisions for sitting the exams are available, but it is the same finishing line for everyone.

“That’s what makes the HSC valuable,” she said.

“Around 70,000 young people, some of them with significant disabilities, will achieve the HSC this year as they have in previous years. We have to have a system where everyone is looked after but which is also fair.”