How Conductive Education found a home in South Australia

PICTURED: Oliver sitting at a ladderback made by his Pappa.

Driven by one Rotarian’s determination to expand opportunity for his grandson, Conductive Education brought life-changing pathways for children with disabilities to Adelaide.

When members of the Rotary Club of Adelaide South, SA, were first introduced to the concept of Conductive Education (CE), no one could have imagined how far that introduction would reach. The idea began as a modest community interest project, inspired by Rotarian Royce Linke, whose involvement was sparked by a deeply personal connection. Royce’s grandson, Oliver, was born with cerebral palsy and so it became his mission to ensure that children like Oliver were given every opportunity for both education and independence.

Conductive Education was developed by Hungarian physician Dr Andras Peto. It is based on the belief that disability is not just a medical issue but an educational one and rather than focusing on what a child cannot do it focuses on what they can achieve. It is a holistic approach that develops movement, communication and independence through learning.

A hallmark of the program is its use of simple but effective tools such as ladderbacks (wooden ladder-like frames) and plinths (low wooden benches), which are used to help children learn how to sit, stand and move with control. These everyday objects become instruments of learning, supporting each small victory toward greater freedom and adaptability.

Royce’s first encounter with the program was in an unexpected setting – a disused warehouse in the city. Inside, a small group of preschool-aged children with physical disabilities were receiving lessons in makeshift surroundings. The Rotary Club of Adelaide South invited a lecturer in disability to explain the program, but rather than listen in the usual lunch setting, they packed sandwiches and went to see it for themselves. Sitting with those children and their parents, it became clear that CE had the potential to change lives.

But at the time, bringing Conductive Education to South Australia seemed like an impossible dream. Attempts in other states had been unsuccessful due to lack of funding. Nevertheless, the Rotary club began sponsoring Sister Joanna Cash, a Dominican nun trained at the Peto Institute in Budapest. She began teaching in Adelaide, working from various suburban venues and later from that same warehouse. Slowly, awareness grew. Rotarians, parents and politicians saw the profound difference CE could make.

As enthusiasm grew, practical challenges followed. Funding and logistics were ongoing concerns, and Rotary members spent countless hours in meetings with government officials. A district committee was eventually formed to manage the project, which was taken by the Rotary Club of Adelaide South to District 9500 and approved as an official district initiative.

Rotary raised $40,000, with the shortfall covered by the Intellectual Disability Services Council (IDSC) and in January 1994, Conductive Education officially commenced in Australia at Regency Park. The first classes operated under Crippled Children Australia before moving to a new annexe at Kidman Park Primary School. The annexe provided classrooms and, just as importantly, a playground where children could learn and play alongside their peers.

From there, CE continued to grow. Families, neighbours and community members rallied behind the program, while ongoing Rotary and government support ensured its sustainability. In 1997, a Hungarian-trained conductor (the term used for a CE teacher) was employed to teach, train and counsel teachers and therapists in the principles of CE.

In November 2004, Conductive Education expanded to include a high school program. According to Kati Balla, who has been a CE Conductor in South Australia since 2003, when a group of CE students were ready to begin secondary studies, there were no accessible high schools able to accommodate them. To bridge the gap, Meryl Davidson, then Principal of Kidman Park Primary School, offered a room on the primary school grounds while she worked tirelessly to secure an inclusive high school placement. Finally, in November that year, the Disability Unit for Conductive Education opened its doors to the first group of students at Findon High School.

The opening of the CE Unit at Findon High School was a major milestone. A pathway became available for families who chose Conductive Education for their children. The Department for Education now supported CE programs from the early years through primary school and onto high school.

Eszter Agocs, another experienced Conductor from the Peto Institute, also played a pivotal role. In 2006, she joined the South Australian Education Department, where she contributed to the development and running of CE programs and in 2011, Eszter founded Future Footprints, a private centre dedicated to supporting children with special needs.

CE services are now available in SA country schools through a newly established referral process. Kati has been supporting schools in Kimba, Port Lincoln, Wallaroo and Port Elliot, and has started a targeted program at The Briars Special Early Learning Centre.

Graduation days have become regular milestones and proud memories for students, families and those who believed in the vision from the start. As Royce approaches his 99th birthday, and after more than 50 years of Rotary service, he looks back fondly on that day in the warehouse when a simple Rotary lunch became the beginning of something remarkable. What began as a pipe dream grew into a program that has transformed the lives of children like Oliver.

The following poem about Conductive Education was written by Royce’s grandson, Oliver Mills. It appeared in the anthology Growing Up Disabled in Australia (Black Inc., 2021).

My Early Years
By Oliver Mills
(Conductive Ed Preschool)

Good morning, good morning
And how do you do?
Good morning, good morning
A happy day to you.

This is how to stand.
This is how to reach out your hand –
Feet flat, head up,
Knees apart, straight back.
Sticks, rings, wooden plinths,
Ladderbacks, arm wraps.

Hang upside down
Swing like a chimpanzee
Dangle from parallel bars
Slide face down on a slippery dip.
Swim like a fish
Out of water.

Listen to a percussion band –
Bells, tambourines, triangles, drums.
Bristly brushes scratch skin.
Bright lights flicker in a cave.
Stiff plastic boots to walk in.
A legion of helpers
Move my head, my arms, my legs
Like a crash-test dummy.

Good morning, good morning
And how do you do?
Good morning, good morning
A happy day to you.