[Greens-Media] Sen KERRY NETTLE: Howard can't be believed on harmony while promoting division in schools

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

Howard can't be believed on harmony while promoting division in schools

20.09.06

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle today accused the Prime Minister of actively
undermining community harmony through his support of a divisive school
system in stark contrast to his rhetoric on Australian values.

"If The Prime Minister was fair dinkum about promoting harmony be would
be announcing a boost to the funding of public schools and funding an
advertising campaign to promote the public education system," Senator
Nettle said.

"Under the Howard government the number of new small private schools
that have opened without regulation of the values they teach or the
impact on the enrolments of public schools has increased by 121 since
2000, teaching 24,000 kids.

"The Howard government funds 51 fundamentalist Christian schools in NSW
who teach homophobia, and even 13 Brethren schools which don't allow
their kids to go to university.

"There is no government regulation of the values taught in private
schools in Australia. Mr Howard should focus his values push here.

"Faith schools have been identified in a government inquiry into rioting
in the UK as being a problem for community solidarity and it is a lesson
Australia should learn.

"It's not just fundamentalist Christian, Exclusive Brethren and Islamic
schools that create schooling ghettos but also private schools which
divide our kids on the basis of ethnicity and wealth.

"John Howard abolished the planned provision measures which managed the
opening of new schools in the public interest. Now almost any new
private school can apply and now open as long as they meet basic
teaching and child protection standards.

"Public schools embody values of respect and a fair-go and crucially
allow children to mix with peers from a variety of different
backgrounds.


Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146