Assessment Task 2 Part 1: Introduction and Student Overview This report examines issues of exclusion and inequity within a Catholic primary school context
Assessment Task 2
Part 1: Introduction and Student Overview
This report examines issues of exclusion and inequity within a Catholic primary school context by analysing the experiences of two students Jayden, a 10-year-old First Nations student, and John, a 10-year-old Anglo-Australian student diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type). Both students attend the same urban Catholic primary school but face barriers to participation arising from cultural identity, linguistic background, behavioural needs, and school expectations.
Jayden’s strengths include strong verbal communication, engagement in storytelling, and positive peer interaction during unstructured play. However, he often struggles with literacy tasks that do not reflect his cultural knowledge or lived experiences. Limited school-family engagement and a mismatch between classroom activities and Jayden’s home language practices contribute to disengagement and feelings of disconnection from the curriculum.
John demonstrates creativity, confidence in imaginative tasks, and enthusiasm for arts-based learning. Nonetheless, his ADHD affects concentration, routine-following, and social interactions. He also experiences emotional distress related to religious expectations particularly the pressure to maintain quiet, respectful behaviour during chapel. This contributes to low self-esteem and internalised negative beliefs about being a “good Catholic boy.”
Both students require support that addresses individual needs and broader institutional structures. The following sections critically analyse their challenges and propose evidence-based strategies for more inclusive learning environments.
Part 2: Critical Analysis
This section examines how individual, structural, and institutional factors shape exclusion for Jayden and John. The analysis integrates academic literature to explore how culture, identity, behavioural differences, and systemic expectations intersect to affect learning and wellbeing.
2.1 Cultural identity, language, and curriculum relevance
Jayden’s challenges align with research demonstrating that First Nations students often face mismatches between their cultural identities and mainstream schooling (Lowe & Galstaun, 2020). Although he speaks English, he also uses a home dialect tied to his cultural community, which may not be recognised or valued within school literacy practices. When the curriculum excludes Indigenous perspectives, students may feel that their cultural knowledge is marginalised (Nakata, 2007). This aligns with Jayden’s frustration when classroom learning does not connect with his lived experiences.
Curriculum and pedagogical structures in Catholic schools can inadvertently privilege Western, monolingual worldviews (McKinley et al., 2021). As a result, students like Jayden may disengage when they cannot see their identities represented. Research shows that culturally relevant pedagogy improves learning outcomes for Indigenous students by validating home knowledge and linguistic practices (Sarra, 2011). Therefore, Jayden’s disengagement during literacy tasks is not a result of capability but of curriculum disconnect.
School:family relationships also influence inclusion. Although Jayden’s parents want him to succeed, their limited involvement mirrors broader inequities for First Nations families who may feel alienated from school systems due to histories of exclusion (Burgess & Evans, 2017). Limited culturally responsive communication may further hinder authentic engagement.
2.2 ADHD, behavioural expectations, and emotional wellbeing
John’s ADHD contributes to difficulties with attention, organisation, and impulse regulation. These challenges are consistent with the DSM-5 characterisation of ADHD as a neurodevelopmental condition that affects executive functioning (APA, 2013). In environments with high behavioural expectations such as Catholic schools students with ADHD may experience heightened exclusion if behaviour is interpreted as disobedience rather than neurological difference (DuPaul & Stoner, 2014).
John’s disruptive behaviours calling out, leaving his seat illustrate struggles with self-regulation in structured learning contexts. Research indicates that students with ADHD often internalise negative stereotypes and may experience lower self-esteem when classroom routines do not accommodate neurodiversity (Humphrey, 2018). John’s belief that he is “not a good Catholic boy” reflects harmful internalisation of deficit narratives, influenced by religious expectations of quietness, stillness, and compliance.
Additionally, behavioural expectations in religious education and chapel may increase emotional distress. Literature shows that students with ADHD can feel inadequate when their behaviour conflicts with institutional norms, leading to anxiety and disengagement from learning (Rosen & Mulvihill, 2020).
2.3 Systemic barriers and institutional constraints
2.3.1 Curriculum and pedagogy
Schools often operate through standardised curricula that do not adequately reflect diverse cultural or neurological needs. For Jayden, literacy tasks are not culturally responsive; for John, routines and behaviour frameworks do not align with his cognitive profile.
2.3.2 School policies and inclusion
While many Catholic schools emphasise moral values, inclusion policies sometimes rely on assimilation expecting students to adjust to existing norms rather than adapting structures to diverse learners (Graham, 2020). Such expectations may inadvertently marginalise students like Jayden (culturally) and John (neurologically).
2.3.3 Teacher assumptions and unconscious bias
Educators may unintentionally hold assumptions for example, interpreting ADHD behaviours as intentional or assuming that First Nations students should adapt to the dominant curriculum. Literature shows that bias influences classroom interactions and student engagement (Connell, 2019).
2.3.4 Social-emotional dynamics
Both students experience forms of emotional labou
