Social cohesion brought to life in our public schools

The answer to a vibrant Australia lies in our public schools, writes ANGELO GAVRIELATOS.

On Australia Day, Prime Minister Howard wrote and spoke about the importance of social cohesion. Given that actions are louder than words, we need to assess the impact of the Howard Government's policies and actions on the maintenance of a socially cohesive Australia.

It was approximately 10 years ago that John Howard became Prime Minister and Pauline Hanson a household name. Of the unbridled racism that was unleashed by Hanson's first speech in Parliament, John Howard said that political correctness had gone too far and that he supported freedom of speech. Multiculturalism had become a contestable concept. (It is important to remind ourselves that the policy of multiculturalism was developed in recognition of this nation's ethnic and cultural diversity. This recognition is a precondition for a harmonious, socially cohesive society where difference and diversity is accepted and respected.)

Over the past decade our efforts as educators to promote the values of a socially inclusive and just society have been consistently undermined as a result of government policies and public discourse that has followed, aided and abetted by "shock jocks".

Since Howard came to power, we have witnessed a decade of foreign and domestic policy underpinned by the politics of fear, deception and the demonisation of our brothers and sisters of Middle Eastern backgrounds. Tampa, the mandatory detention of asylum seekers and the war in Iraq serve as sad examples.

It was against this backdrop that those perpetrating or supporting the racist violence in Cronulla found a pseudo-justification for their actions.

The Cronulla riots and subsequent events did not only shock us; they have also shaken us.

They have provided a reminder of our collective responsibility to the ongoing struggle for an Australia where the rights of all people are respected.

The events have also reminded us that the social fabric of our society is fragile and that there is no room for the politics of division, the politics of fear, xenophobia or racism. The most important institution in the achievement of a socially cohesive society is the universally accessible, inclusive, local, socially representative public school. Therefore, what will be the social consequences of the Howard Government's education policies?

Indeed, what kind of society will we be in 10, 20, 30 or 50 years time if we continue down the path of state sponsored segregation and education by class, religion and ethnicity.

The prognosis is not good.

Potentially public schools could become increasingly segregated as a result of the residualisation of public schools caused by shifts in enrolment patterns driven by the federal government's extreme, ideologically driven funding regime.

Concurrently we will witness further separatism resulting from state-sponsored segregation in the form of private schools, including ethno-religious schools.

Social cohesion embracing multiculturalism is brought to life in our inclusive socially representative public schools where we encourage students to reflect the best of themselves, striving for both individual excellence and for the common good.

In the words of John Ralston Saul: "any weakening of universal public education can only be a weakening of the longstanding essential role universal public education plays in making us a civilised democracy."

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Deputy President.

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