Connor’s parents claim their son has been granted no compassion by the NSW Education Standards Authority

The family and friends of Trinity Catholic College Year 12 student Connor Meldrum are urging authorities to change their policies regarding special consideration for students completing the HSC.

call for compassion: Connor Meldrum (middle) with father David Meldrum and Mother Kim Goodrick at Cosy Corner Tallows Beach Byron Bay. in 2019 Connor fell from the cliff face at Cape Byron shattering his skull. Now he is hoping NESA will show some compassion and allow him to complete his HSC with his close friends in 2021. Photo by Natalie Grono

After years of watching her son Connor Meldrum battle physical and mental health challenges caused by a cliff fall, Kin Goodrick is now demanding a reform of HSC special consideration rules.

“There isn’t a single person who I have spoken to who supports NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) position on this, other than the staff at NESA,” she said.

“Even if there were a note on the HSC Certificate that Connor’s results had been extrapolated for two subjects due to a life-threatening condition in Year 12, we’d be happy with that.

“We’re not asking for anything unreasonable here – just for fairness in what are extreme and very challenging circumstances.”

Ms Goodrick’s comments come as the family and friends of the year 12 Trinity Catholic College student urged the NESA to change their policies regarding special consideration for students completing the HSC.

But in May, NESA refused Connor’s application.

Since then, nearly 7900 people have signed a Campaigns By Me petition started by Connor’s friends asking NESA to let Connor graduate in 2021.

Connor’s dad, David Meldrum, said NESA had shown the family an incredible lack of compassion.

“This is a classic example of where individual circumstances are sacrificed for rigid

adherence to a general principle,” he said.

“Instead, there has to be an acceptance that sometimes extraordinary circumstances require an individual approach.”

While he was only able to complete three out of five subjects due to medical reasons, Connor’s family asked NESA if he could receive special consideration to graduate in 2021.

Connor has received medical advice that being forced to stay back a year will have a severe

effect on his mental health.

His family argue his results could be extrapolated from his existing results, allowing him to graduate with his cohort.

Now Connor’s family are asking NESA to revise their policies around special consideration

for students experiencing life threatening illnesses and accidents in their final year.

“Finishing this year with my friends is the most important thing to me at the moment,” Connor said.

“I’m facing another brain surgery in the next few months and I just don’t understand why NESA doesn’t have a system for dealing with students who have life-threatening illnesses in their final year, instead of punishing them by making them do the HSC over two to five years.

“It’s not like we chose this — we’ve just been victims of very, very bad luck.”

Connor said he was grateful to his friends who started this petition.

“I’m so grateful to all of Year 12 at Trinity, and the other 7,000 people who have signed the petition in support of me getting the HSC this year,” he said.

“It makes me feel like people understand and that there is hope.”

In 2019, Connor fell from a cliff at Cape Byron, which resulted in him taking six months off school and undergoing surgery.

However, Connor made a remarkable recovery, returned to school and was on the verge of completing his HSC in Year 12 when swelling in his skull forced him to undergo surgery again.

Within three weeks of the surgery, Connor was back at school, trying to complete his HSC with his friends.