"It's tokenism," wrote a representative from Newington to his GPS colleagues. The swimming committee of the GPS has been running events for athletes with disabilities for several years, but holds different events for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, and for different age groups. The athletics committee, led by a representative from The Armidale School, approved the single, multi-disability, multi-age race a few weeks before the carnival, believing all the schools supported it. But three schools then objected. None were opposed to introducing races for students with disabilities in principle. But some argued that more care needed to be taken to ensure fairness by classifying students with various disabilities into appropriate events. "I am all for inclusivity but this concept doesn't feel right to me," wrote the Newington representative in his email.

In another email laying out his reasons, he wrote the idea needed to be considered "very very carefully ... These disabled students are afforded the same opportunities to gain selection as our overweight/slow kids." He said there were many different types of disabilities, so racing them against each other would not be fair. He also warned that "the athletes in this race will be mocked. I do not condone this, it's a simple fact. Yes, we need to educate them on right and wrong, but perhaps it's best to do this prior to one of the biggest events in the calendar." A representative from Sydney Grammar asked whether the committee had thought through which disabilities would be racing. "Are all age groups going to be racing in the same event? What happens if some students don't see the importance of supporting such inclusivity? "More planning should go into this," he said. "We should get it right first up." But a representative from St Ignatius' wrote to the group saying the proposal involved just one race lasting 30 seconds. "[These students] attend every training session and invitational yet they are pretty much dismissed come selection time," she wrote.

"I find it very interesting people say they are for inclusiveness yet seem to have some trouble with this decision." A staff member from Sydney Boys High said he was “very happy for it to go ahead as a non-point scoring event. Overall I feel it could be a positive experience.” Shore School did not get involved in the discussion. After the objections, the convener of the committee decided the multi-disability race should not go ahead at the September carnival. "It is obvious that not enough discussion was held, looking at all possible issues and a more solid rationale," he said in an email. "This will go back to the sub committee in 2020." Peter Phipps, the acting chairman of the GPS, said delaying the event until next year would allow better planning, and give the organisation an opportunity to ask the students' parents about the kinds of events they would prefer.

"We are keen to see it happen but it's a complicated process," he told the Sun-Herald. Loading In a statement Newington said it strongly supported events for students with disabilities at the carnival, but believed it should be done in a way that ensured competitors were well-prepared, properly registered, and could compete in a range of events. The internal AAGPS debate was about how to introduce those events in a way that was sustainable and fair, the school said. "Proper and thorough planning will be essential to ensuring these events have integrity and become a celebrated part of both the AAGPS Carnival and, Newington College hopes, invitational meets in the lead-up," it said.