From submissions from 39 countries across the globe I am delighted that my school is the recipient of an (IFIP) Global Inclusion Award 2024.

A total of 149 organisations and individuals have been recognised and celebrated across eight categories – architecture and design, corporate and business, culture, education, social impact, health, sports, leisure and tourism. A meticulous evaluation of all applications was conducted by a distinguished panel of inclusion specialists representing each of these sectors.
The aim of the awards is to:

“shine a light on the diverse inclusion challenges that the world faces and to showcase existing best practices that can guide others towards ensuring equitable access and benefits in education, employment, culture, and leisure activities worldwide”.

Claremont College is one of four Australian organisations (and one of two schools) to receive this award. Our school was nominated for the following reasons…

In our pursuit of inclusive education at Claremont, we initiated a multifaceted approach. Firstly, we transformed our learning spaces into visually appealing, inviting, and safe environments with flexible designs to align with our pedagogical model. Our classrooms include breakout spaces to support individual learning needs and to enhance group collaboration. Simultaneously, we redefined our teaching practices, introducing a collaborative teaching model that fosters a fully inclusive setting for all students. This model involves dedicated support from Learning Enrichment Teachers and Teaching and Learning Assistants working within classrooms. Despite initial resistance to not withdrawing students, we courageously persevered.

Additionally, we prioritised a full-time school counsellor who often works directly with students in their learning spaces. We also embarked on a rigorous research project which affirmed our strategic priorities, gave us confidence and informed our ongoing decision making. To address individual needs, we have developed a comprehensive process for developing Individualised Programs which encourages direct student participation and voice. Witnessing happy and flourishing children kept us grounded. Though faced with ongoing challenges, our determined commitment to inclusive education has prevailed.

Follow the link here to see the other Global Inclusion Award Winners from around the world.

As Principal I am so thrilled for Claremont to be recognised in this way. For me personally, the reason why I initially chose to become a teacher was to work in a school where students with disabilities and special needs were included in a mainstream setting. More recently, my professional experiences at Claremont have equipped me for giving back - working in India advocating for marginalised and vulnerable children, especially those with disabilities and slum kids who have limited or no access to a school and education.

For Claremont, what we have created over the past decade truly has been a team effort. I am so proud of our teachers, professional support staff and leadership team. I honour their passion, commitment and dedication to our school, and to their students. My team inspires me!

Claremont College continues to be a world leading ‘light house’ school, pointing others to the way of Jesus. We seek to be a school that serves and impacts our students, families and community, and be a place that brings light, hope and love.

Today, 2nd March 2024, marked a significant moment for me and many others, standing beside one another, in unity, with shared purpose.

We gathered for 'A National Act of Recognition' at Kurnell, Kamay Botany Bay, near the landing site of Lieutenant James Cook.  Kamay was the site of Cook’s first encounter with First Nations people, the Gweagal people, in 1770, where atrocious crimes were committed, and it is fitting that we gathered at the site where Australians recognise the truth about our shared history since colonisation.

It was an emotional and powerful moment for me, as I spoke this apology to the many First Nations peoples, elders and others, who had come from across Australia to share this important occasion together...

I am a teacher, and a Principal. I love education and learning is my passion.

I was a school student in the 1970. As a small boy sitting here in this place with my mother and father, I recall watching the enactment of Cook’s arrival. We came here to celebrate this moment in history. We were told that it was a glorious most wonderful moment. I was taught as a primary student that this happened peacefully and with the consent of First Nations peoples. I was lied to, I was taught that Cook was a hero. I was lied to. How could I have been so stupid. As a young teacher a few decades later I initially continued to teach the lies. Our history curriculum both then and for many years later perpetuated this convenient and comfortable myth. I am profoundly sorry for this.

For me I am embarrassed to say it was a Year 4 student who challenged me and said it like this….
"No body comes to your home, and enters in the front door and says to the owner, this is now my house. But quite simply this is what happen. Stolen home, stolen lands - done without consent."

I am pleased to say that our current curriculum now tells much more of the truth. I am proud to say that I work with a generation of teachers, teachers who stand with me this morning, who understand and seek to keep listening and tell the truth we are hearing today. Yet, there is still so much to do, but today is a wonderful start.

I have been a Principal of an Anglican School for 17 years. Last year I was bestowed the honour of being named 'The Australian Primary Principal of the year, 2023. I speak in this capacity today. As a leader of a Christian school I am ashamed of the past actions caused by many Christian leaders in schools across Australia. What many religious leaders did in the name of God is abhorrent and certainly does not reflect the loving God that I believe in. I acknowledge the pain and trauma caused by many schools and religious institutions and I offer my sincerest of apologies to those people, to you and your family members, your land and community who are here today.

A Declaration of Recognition
We gather at the place where our shared history began – Kamay Botany Bay.
Though we speak of untold loss and grief,
Yet also we are filled with gratitude – for what we have found in each other.
 
We see the many fair minded people who live on all these lands.
We see First Nations people who have generously shown love and forgiveness.
We see later Australians who, seeing truth, labour to make wrong things right.
 
And yet, we know that the heart of our nation is disturbed.
At the heart of our nation there lies a profound injustice – and a deep divide.
It is a divide between descendants of those who were here and those who came.
 
First Nations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, became oppressed.
On our first day of shared history, an armed attack was launched against them.
Tall ships came from the sea – and other people overran Country.
 
Belonging to Country, First Peoples were dispossessed of their homelands.
Elders looked and saw – old people displaced, no Place of belonging.
They looked and saw – language forbidden, culture, identity – all lost.
Young lives broken by inter-generational trauma - lives over before they began.
 
The time has come to recognise the truth about European arrival in this land.
The voice of First Peoples must be heard,
And the voice of all people of goodwill heard with them.

With this Declaration of Recognition we enter the Truth Telling space together.
We declare that at this place we recognise the truth – the stains on our past.
 
We publicly reject, and strongly condemn these colonising actions.
They are not acceptable to us – they were not done in our name.
 
We celebrate a truth that binds us together, the truth of our common humanity.
We commit to walking together – in our resolve to making wrong things right.  
 
Truth leads us to freedom

Beginning in 1997, 'A National Act of Recognition' has developed a simple but powerful Truth-Telling model. It involved 26 years of consulting with First Nations people where they live – on Country – in urban, regional and remote areas.  This is a joint venture designed by first and later Australians working together, with the support of local Elders and La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council. Our Truth Telling model can be found at www.actofrecognition.org.au

Today 3rd December is the ‘International Day of Disabled Persons 2023’ and as a member of the Project Help India team, I celebrate the 14 kids who attend the Project Help India Disability Centre in Kotdwara, Uttarakhand in Northern India. We are thankful for the child's unique gifts and beautiful personality. These kids make our lives richer …it is indeed a privilege to educate, help and care for them, to learn alongside them and be inspired by their optimism, courage, determination and resilience in the face of incredible challenges and daily adversity.

I am especially grateful for the many people whose kindness and generosity makes it possible for us to fund our Disability Centre. Our Centre is unique to much of India where children with a disability are marginalised and have no access to education. If these 14 children did not attend our centre, they would not go to school at all.

With just three weeks to go until Christmas, Project Help India is trying to raise $6000 for our Annual Christmas Appeal, which will enable us to give a Christmas present to the 600 students at our 14 centres. We will also use donations to purchase food and goodies to have a Christmas party, and concert for parents, at each of our centres.

Thanks again, love Doug
​
Every $5, $10, $20, $50+ tax deductible donation received by Project Help India goes a really long way in making a significant difference in the lives of children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend school or celebrate Christmas this year.

You can make a donation HERE

Read more about International Day of People with a Disability HERE

Please also help me to promote this cause and fundraising appeal by sharing my blog with your family, friends and network. I would really appreciate it.

Adnan's Story

This morning I read that Mother Teresa said...

“the task is not to do big things but to do small things with great love.” 

It was a great encouragement to read this and to be reminded that little things are significant when love is found at the centre of it all. I guess this is one of the reasons why at www.projecthelpindia.co we love to use #smallstepsbigpurpose - time and time again, we see how a little goes a long, long way. 
​
For those who have been following my recent trip to India, thank you for your interest and support. In a few short weeks we managed to see a lot, achieve a lot and explore ideas, make plans and develop an exciting vision for the year ahead.

While we were in India we: 

• purchased quite a lot of valuable teaching resources for our centres. 
• purchased a fabulous brand new laptop for our office
• directed some urgent funds to trade in our jeep (which will be of little value in 24 months because the state government bans all diesel vehicles once they our 10 years old)
• blessed each one of our staff with some greatly appreciated gifts
• we provided further funds to some families who completely lost everything they owned in the recent monsoon floods
• assessed learning needs for our students

We are also thrilled to be able to commence paying our five teachers, director and administrative officer in Punjab with a small monthly salary (up to this present time, they have kindly volunteered their time and energy).

Next we hope to purchase:

• further stationary and workbooks for our students
• school backpacks for our 600 students to give as a Christmas gift
• an electric sewing machine for our Women’s Centre in Kotdwara

And in 2024 we hope to:

• provide daily meals for the students in the five Punjab Centres
• start a Community Centre (with a focus on tailoring) in one of the jungle villages
• start a Technology Centre in another of the jungle villages
• start a Disability Centre in Punjab 
• explore how we can develop and deliver a drug awareness program for our students in Punjab
• explore the possibility of a pop-up medical clinic to support our centres in Punjab.

Each one of the things that I have mentioned above, while small steps in themselves, definitely come wrapped in great love. We are confident that these things will have a significant impact in the lives of the children, their families and community. I can't wait to share more with you. If any of these things are of a particular interest to you, please let me know.

I am so grateful to my friends and supporters of Project Help India whose kindness, compassion and generosity make all of this possible. Thank you again for helping us to bring love, hope and purpose to some very special people.
​

In an announcement that has filled the Claremont College community with immense pride, Mr Doug Thomas, our 19th Principal, has been crowned Primary School Principal of the Year (Non-Government) and named an Excellence Awardee for Australian School Principal of the Year at the 2023 Australian Education Awards. This achievement is not only a testament to Mr Thomas' dedication and unwavering commitment but also reflects the excellence that resonates throughout the College.
 
The Australian Education Awards honour schools and leaders for their outstanding achievements and transformative work that makes a profound difference in the lives of young people across Australia. Mr Thomas' recognition on this stage is a tribute to his exceptional contributions to education, not only for his work at Claremont College but also his contribution to education on a broader national and international level.
 
The judging panel for the awards were presented with six areas of Mr Thomas’ work and contribution over the past 12 months. His journey of excellence spans across:
 
Nurturing Community Bonds
His dedication to fostering a nurturing environment at Claremont College is evident through the establishment of supportive relationships with students, parents, and families within the school community. This compassionate approach has undoubtedly contributed to the holistic growth of each student.
 
Pioneering Teaching Innovation
At the heart of educational excellence lies innovation. Mr Thomas' leadership has created an innovative collaborative teaching model, where educators from all sectors (local, interstate and overseas), visit Claremont to observe and learn from their practices and enrich their teaching methodologies.
 
Championing Air Quality and Safety
His partnership with a University of New South Wales (UNSW) research project focused on measuring and improving air quality in classrooms exemplifies his commitment to the health and safety of students and teachers. This contribution is set to play a vital role in shaping future policies to ensure the health and safety of educational environments nationwide.
 
Embracing Indigenous Education
The journey to reconciliation and understanding takes courage and humility. In October 2022, Mr Thomas delivered an apology at an Indigenous Recognition ceremony, held at Kamay, Botany Bay to acknowledge the First Nations Peoples and the historic trauma committed by educational institutions, particularly church-based schools. This act of reconciliation underscores his commitment to fostering an inclusive and empathetic learning environment.
 
Collaborative Solutions for Teacher Shortage
Education thrives when leaders collaborate to solve complex challenges. Mr Thomas’ involvement in the AISNSW Growing and Nurturing Educators (GANE) Committee, demonstrates his dedication to exploring complex issues and delivering a potential solution relating to the current teacher shortage.
 
Global Humanitarian Endeavours
Mr Thomas' commitment to education transcends borders, being the Founder and Australian Director of the international charity, Project Help India. In 2022, he participated in humanitarian aid and community development projects including opening two new school centres in Northern India for 150 slum and marginalised children (aged 4 to 15). This dedication reflects his belief in education's power to transform lives.
 
As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, we must also recognise that this award does not only reflect his individual efforts, but the collective dedication of the Claremont College community. His inspiring work and unwavering commitment have shaped the lives of students, staff, and families alike. His journey is inspiring and serves as a reminder that education is a lifelong pursuit that extends far beyond the classroom.

I take the opportunity to ask if you would consider making a tax-deductible donation before the end of this financial year. With this, comes the assurance of knowing that your dollar, especially in these days of financial challenges for us all, goes a very long way to help some amazing kids (570 all up) and their families.

I have created this booklet LINK HERE to share 16 beautiful stories about some of the children who  have been helped by Project Help India over the past 12 months. So often it can be uncomfortable to know about the impact of poverty, yet in the midst of this, there is great encouragement and hope to be found for us all. You will also be inspired by the powerful impact of love and generosity ...of people helping people.  

Kids everywhere inspire us and fill our hearts with joy. I am indeed privileged to work with children 5 days a week, and I get to be inspired by them every day. As you read these stories, I hope that you see why these children are so special to my team at Project Help, and I also hope that you have a glimpse of why this work is so important to me. This is why I advocate tirelessly for the right of all children to access education.

Before the 30th June might you please consider helping our cause. We are seeking your support by making a lump sum payment in full (or committing to monthly payments across the next 12 months).

à $35 to educate a child per month ($420 a year)
à $45 to educate a child at our Disability Centre a month ($540 a year)
à $100 for a teacher’s monthly salary ($1200 a year).

LINK TO DONATE HERE

Thank you again, Project Help India could not educate and feed these 570 children without you.
I appreciate your interest, compassion, generosity and the encouragement that this brings.

Love Doug

When you're ten years old. how do you make sense of a life of poverty, and yet be filled with optimism and confidence for the future. This is what hope looks like for Vishal. Not only is he believing in his personal success, but he is looking beyond to how he can make a difference to the lives of other children like him and to bring about long term change in his village. I'm so proud of him!

I am Vishal and I am 10 years old. I live in Parmawala Village in the Indian jungle. I’m in Grade 3 at school. My favourite thing is football but mostly we do not have a ball to play with because the big boys steal it. I go to the Project Help Education Centre where there are 48 kids of all ages in my class. Some of us go to the government school during the day but I don’t go all the time, especially during the monsoon rains and when it’s too hot. My feet get blisters which do not go away quickly, so I do not like walking. Sometimes after I walk the long distance even my teacher is mostly not there, so instead I would rather be playing with my friends all day long.

At first I didn’t want to go to Project Help but my mother made me go. I wanted to be with my friends instead, where we would hang and not do much and just make a football, or tease the cattle and get into trouble. But now I realise that when I study hard I can hope to see my dreams come true.

As I told you I am from Parmawala Village which is a very poor place in the jungles. Here most people do not know about us except for Project Help. I live in a very small hut with my mother, my father, my brother and sister. They all work hard to keep us surviving every day. My mother stays inside the house and she is ill most of the time. When she has energy she will cook and do hard work housekeeping too. My sister and brother are labourers in other people’s fields, maybe they will not even earn 100 rupees ($2AUS) a day. My father is also a labourer in the fields and he has short luck in his life. Now he mostly spends all the money by getting drunk and he quarrels at the end of the day. I stay away from him when he is like this but it is difficult when I am trying to get to sleep.

So my mother insisted I go to the Project Help Centre where my teacher is Rakhi. I think she is kind and beautiful and I love her. At first I was naughty and cheeky but Rakhi was patient and keeped on smiling. She did not hit me with the stick like the teacher at the government school. Instead Rakhi asked me to help her to clean and tidy the class before and after our lessons along with some of the other children. I feel very proud and important for Rakhi to give me this responsibility so I want to work hard for her in my studies too.  

Because of my hard work I am learning more things and achieving higher grades. My mother is very proud of me and she says I am changing to be a happy and more responsible boy. I want to achieve my dream for her which is to become a police officer. I want to help make our village known and not forgotten by the world. I will also keep cleaning my village to make all people proud of our location. If I concentrate in my studies I can be successful in the future too, and make the government help kids like me, so they can achieve their dreams too. I hope for this day to come with pride and confidence in myself. My mother and I thank Rakhi and Project Help for making this happen in my life.

The power and life long impact of a child's education

The mission of Project help India is to bring love, hope, dignity and purpose to the poor in India. In Vishal’s story see how his education, which comes packaged with love, care, nurture, a sense of belonging and being valued by his teacher and others, is changing his life.

Thank you to the many supporters of www.projecthelpindia.co for your significant part in making this possible for Vishal and the many other children who attend one of our thirteen Project Help India education centres. How your donation dollar is spent;

- $35 is the approximate cost of tuition and meals for a child per month
- $45 is the approximate cost of tuition and meals for a child at our Kotdwara Disability Centre per month
- $100 is the cost of a teacher's salary per month

I sincerely appreciate your interest, compassion, generosity and the encouragement that this brings.

As Desmond Tutu famously stated; 
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

On Mother's Day, I honour and celebrate the amazing mothers and women in our lives who love and sacrifice for us to flourish and live our best lives. Despite their differences, mothers around the world share a common hope for their children's future. 
 
This Mother’s Day I especially honour my mum. She fought for me and believed in my dream to be a teacher (and she still does!). From what I understand I was the first kid from both sides of my family to ever go to university. Mum, you were the one who helped me to do so much more than I ever thought I could. I love you mum!
 
I see this too in my wife – the fight, the passion, her relentless, never-ending love for our 3 kids. Thank you …Our kids are awesome individuals and I am certainly a better dad because of you.
 
As an educator of 36 years I’ve seen SO MANY changes, but if there is one thing that remains the same – the love and fierce determination of a mum as she cares for her kids, invested in their education, wanting only what is best for them. We wouldn’t want it any other way - even when sometimes you might cause this Principal some grief from time to time. I honour you all.

Today at the school gate, I asked a Year 3 student where his school hat was, his answer was “my mum forgot to give it to me”. I told him that he had to take responsibility for his actions and that it was not his mother’s fault …gee, some mums really cop it! Thank you to the mums at my school – you really are amazing and I am in awe of what you do.
 
I’m deeply moved by the stories of these four remarkable women. They are mums of some of the kids who attend some of our Project Help India Centres. Day in and day out each one of these women faces extreme hardship due to poverty and limited resources. They worry about their children's future and recognise that education is key to a better life, free from hunger and desperation. This Mother's Day, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the mothers of over 670 children who attend our centres five days a week. We acknowledge the challenges that you face on a daily basis, and how you fight for the welfare and safety of your children. It is a privilege for us at Project Help India to care for, and educate your children, and we will continue to do so with dedication and passion. I think you are some of the most courageous women on this planet.

Anita's Story - she hopes that her daughters will become literate and lead a good life, not impacted by their father's addictions.
Pinki's Story - she hopes that her children will have a better quality life, free of poverty.
Poonam's Story - she hopes that her children will not have to endure the same hardships and struggles that she has had in life.
Urmila's Story - she hopes that her children will be safe and free from their father's addictions and violence.

We must care for our mums - empower them and give them every ounce of credit they deserve …each is an inspiration and an example of the power of sacrificial love, resilience, strength and incredible patience.

Thank you freestocks for your great image at the top!

I find it a sad and confronting irony that this week, that some of the most disadvantaged children on this planet were doing their bit on ‘Earth Day 23’ to make their world a better place. I actually think it’s quite scandalous (and inspiring) that these children who have inherited basically nothing in life, except for a dirty slum, are the ones who, with smiles on their faces, are enthusiastically cleaning their patch and making a difference.

Kids are kids no matter where in the world
I see exactly the same for the children who I work with and alongside at my school in Sydney. They are kind, compassionate, inclusive, creative and generous in their willingness to help and serve others and their community.

We would all agree that our planet needs hope. It makes me wonder what happens after childhood that hardens so many adults? I suggest that one way to make a significant difference is to give greater recognition to the precious stage of life called ‘childhood.’

Children provide us with both an opportunity and a solution
We must listen to children more - giving them a voice to bring their perspective, creativity and ideas for solving problems to shape and impact the world they are growing up in.

We must give children more opportunities to ‘be’ the solution - the smiles on their faces, energy and enthusiasm that I consistently see in all children, from the poorest of the poor to some of the most wealthy, is all the evidence I need to know that they can surely do a better job than most adults. Kids love to get their hands dirty but most of the time we don’t let them (oh dear, they might get germs!).

We must be committed to change and to be bringers of hope - why? because of our children need us to have hope. A vicious cycle is created when kids see adults as despondent, cynical and pessimistic about the future and life in general.

Education is key - to bring hope and to make change happen, priorities within the curriculum must be challenged. Let’s also consider how much time we are giving kids each day, whilst they are at school, to do the things that really matter, to have impact in their community and the lives of others, connecting with others - to be truly human.

Hope is a two way street
​I am personally committed to make a difference in my life and work to bring hope to children. But when I think deeply about this, it’s actually the kids who bring and give me so much hope and inspiration. I’m sure there are children in your life who do the same for you.

Let us be mindful of the children,
being born today,
in a world torn apart
by humans.
Let us show our children
a more excellent way
to walk on the earth and be human,
truly human.

Let us love this world
we’ve been breaking apart
and let our love bring wholeness.
And let us love one another
with a compassionate heart
for it is love that makes us human, human.
(Brian McLaren, ‘Weep for the World’ – (stanzas 2&3))

What the kids did on Earth Day 2023 inspired someone enough to tell the media about their initiative and efforts. Check out this news clip that featured on @Himilaya News. The item talks about Project Help India students who went into the slum river, jungles and fields to clean up garbage and plastics.