State sponsored segregation and division

By Angelo Gavrielatos

A recently distributed leaflet by the Coffs Harbour Christian Community School Ltd, a school which receives in the order of $4 million a year in public funding, represents a fundamental attack on the values of public education and exposes a further flaw in government policies. The leaflet highlights the divisiveness generated by state sponsored segregation.

The brochure, distributed by this religious school to prospective parents, warns that a statement made over 150 years ago by a Roman Catholic Archbishop remains correct and current.

The statement describes state schools as "seed plots of future immorality, infidelity and lawlessness... [which] debase the standard of human excellence and corrupt the political social and individual life of future citizens".

The leaflet further states: "We should not fool ourselves into thinking that in sacrificing our children on the altar of State education we can somehow save our society."

The school has since apologised to its public school colleagues.

Earlier this year, John Howard described public schools as "politically correct and too values neutral". Our inclusive, secular public schools certainly do not teach the values that underpin the abovementioned prejudice.

The actions of this school follow on from other recent stories which also expose the flaws in private school funding policies.

On April 1 the Central Coast Herald reported school funds from the Gosford Christian Centre at Narara were allegedly being directed from Australia to the World Breakthrough Network church and its spiritual base in Trinidad. The religious school, which has received $3.57 million in federal and state funds, was the subject of a complaint to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission over its links to a Trinidad-based church.

This was followed by media reports on August 3 (ABC Online and The Australian) of problems at the St Joseph's school in Cambewarra near Nowra which recently secured a $75,000 federal grant for capital works on top of $332,000 in federal funding. The media reports stated the school is allegedly being run by a doomsday cult led by a self-proclaimed prophet. The Board of Studies has visited the school and is making further inquiries.

While these incidents continue to occur, governments continue to increase funding to private schools. The incidents also highlight the lack of a planning and regulatory authority for the establishment, and disestablishment, of private schools.

On this matter, while choosing to ignore the fact that there is no federal planning, registration and regulatory authority, preferring to shift the blame entirely onto governments, the Howard Government chooses to allocate almost 74 per cent of federal government recurrent funding to approximately 30 per cent of students in private schools.

In conclusion, it must be said that if Australian society can be described as a tolerant, cohesive multicultural society, it is the result of 150 years of public education and the common experience shared by the overwhelming majority of Australians.

What kind of society will we be in 20, 30 or 50 years time if we continue down this path of state sponsored segregation and education by religion, ethnicity and/or tribe?

Public education is the key to a vibrant, multicultural, democratic Australia.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

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September 2004 contents