COMMENTS

Wordpress (5)
  • luis 3 years

    “If you seek to codify those things, you are putting a personal perspective on what’s right and what’s wrong.”, says Mr Whitby, laying down the law.
    I should have thought one was enabling parents to make this decision for their children in accordance with their responsibilities as parents, rather than a school or system bureaucracy.

  • Beth Gibson 3 years

    Interesting to see 2 significant Catholic education bodies expressing such different opinions! Also interesting to see the Bill under discussion is called the ‘Parents’ Rights Bill’.  I wonder why Mr Latham chooses to focus on ‘parental rights’, when schools are actually mainly about children???  This includes children who are struggling with, and/or interested in, gender and sexuality issues. By using the term ‘ideology’, Mr McInerny, seems to be suggesting some sort of  damaging world view is being proposed? Parents quite rightly are perfectly free and able to discuss these issues at home with their children. But in my experience as a school counsellor in Catholic schools for over 10 years, many parents find these topics very difficult to raise at home and often welcome input from the school, where other tricky issues are also discussed. Some families even struggle to discuss ‘straight forward’ heterosexual sexuality and are grateful for night meetings at school to help out! If we trust Catholic schools to teach and discuss other complex matters, why not these ones?  It is of interest that most of this article outlines only one point of view – not very balanced!! Will we hear more from the people in Parramatta?

  • Matt Casey 3 years

    This bill is both unnecessary and could lead to harm being caused to LGBT students.  It would inhibit the capacity of teachers and counselors to properly respond to and support children who may be struggling with their own sexuality 

  • Babs 3 years

    Who are these activists? Do they even have children of their own?
    Parents need to be aware of what their children are being taught at school. These activists seem bent on befuddleing the minds of our vunerable children.All 5 of my children I entrusted to Catholic schools and they were happy children where their education was based on mainstream subjects that would ensure a stable future. As a parent I would have been angry if if their minds were filled with fear that they might not be the sex that was on their birth certificatre. Shoved by uncertainty and worry.If there were problems most
    parents would seek help through the correct medical channels.
    This has become a huge problem since these activists started interfering in our schools and politicians are the last people who would deign to know a childs mind, the stages that children go through in childhood. While activists should never have a say in childrens lives. Every child is eunique, it’s up to parents to help them along in life.
    God Bless our Catholic schools. My children grew up to be good citizens under their care.
    Thank you.

  • Gavin O'Brien 3 years

    This Bill is ideologically driven by elements of the Far Right of politics.This is political correctness gone mad . As a retired teacher who spent most of his career in Catholic Education, I feel this proposed legislation places teachers and schools in the Catholic System in a ‘straight jacket’. It is an attack on the professionalism of teachers and school leadership. From my experience, parents through the documentation given to their children, are informed at the start of a year the nature and scope of the teaching material will be covered by their teachers.Further parents are rarely trained or informed about the methodology of educational practice .Therefore they would be in no position to make an informed judgment about the material being taught to their children.
    I am deeply concerned that our political leaders and the Catholic School leadership in New South Wales is demonstrating such a lack of trust in the professionalism and integrity of their teaching staff.
    There is absolutely no reason why our hierarchy and education leadership should support such draconian legislation.I applaud and support Bishop Vincent Long and Mr Greg Whitby in their reported concerns.