Schools to Report Students at risk of Radicalisation

The news that the NSW government has approached schools requiring them to report students who are at risk of being radicalised to the police is indeed retrograde news. This comes only weeks after Numan Haider, a teenager in Melbourne who knew he was under surveillance and was already under a radical influence, reacted in such an extreme manner to the involvement of police that he was shot dead.

Law enforcement is not the first authority to turn to when kids are in trouble. Counsellors, advisors, specialists in the area of concern are the right people to involve and provide intervention - whether it be learning difficulties, antisocial behaviour, involvement with crime and so on. 

Accept Diversity and Make It Work

Democrats Candidate Silma Ihram has called on Pat Farmer – Federal Minister for Macarthur, to meet with her in order to address his constituents concerns about the proposed Islamic school in Camden.

In her letter to Pat Farmer Silma said “In reality, Muslim schools are now part of the private school fabric of Australian society and are actively engaged in the fight against extremism and ensuring a diverse and integrated society.” In response to a perception that the area does not have a significant Muslim community and that many students may be bussed in, local residents have complained that this will result in their town changing.

Silma has expressed concern about an apparent concerted campaign where leaflets are being distributed to local residents and sms sent in order to alert them to concerns about an increase of Muslim families into the area. One speaker at Monday’s Rally of a 1000 protesting residents alleged that terrified families were moving from Bankstown “which used to be a really nice town” into country areas. Another speaker warned that the community would be hoodwinked, and that Australia should “watch out!”

This kind of hysteria is reminiscent of the pre-Cronulla riots activities where locals banded together against a perceived threat from Muslim visitors. Neither Labour nor Liberal have taken a tough enough stand on the issue of our diverse community. The Australian Democrats have long held to policies that ensure our diverse society is well integrated – and specifically geared to ensuring that the individual needs of our diverse communities are respected and met.

“We need to accept that Muslim schools are part of the answer to an integrated and diverse society, not part of the problem. They have come under scrutiny from all levels of government and bureaucracy – it’s time they were recognized for the valuable work that they are doing. If there are any real concerns about traffic or about local amenities, there are laws and regulations in place to deal with it just as for any other development proposal.” Silma has requested the local community to talk to the various representatives of the Muslim community, and to meet with her and other representatives. She has urged them not to respond to any racist or inflammatory propaganda, but to work constructively to resolve any real issues of traffic or amenity in the area.

Be Inspired!

Be Inspired!

On Thursday I was delighted to be invited to present a short speech to the Methodist Ladies College in Melbourne for International Women’s Day at a dinner function. MLC has long been a school that I admired for its leading educational initatives, particularly in relation to Information Technology. It was one of the first laptop schools in Australia, has taught the International Baccalaureate for many years and is extremely active in community work, charity, fund-raising and mentoring of many different groups in other parts of the world, as well as the less fortunate in rural areas of Australia.

The topic was “Making A Difference”. The first speaker – Victoria Tauli-Corpuz is a community activist who has made incredible progress against the odds in fighting for the rights of her native Philippine people. Amongst other positions she is a member of the International Advisory Council of the Third World Network, and chairperson for the UN permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The next speaker, Dawn Robertson who was until recently, CEO of Myer, spoke about her determination and progression through the ranks of various companies and what she has managed to achieve in attracting customers and turning businesses around. There is still a problem for women in achieving equality in pay and conditions for capable professional women. Her example was certainly inspiring and will almost certainly ensure that many other young women follow in her determined footsteps.

My own efforts seem much less significant in comparison. As there were so many talented young girls in the audience I spoke about my own background and the factors – including unhappy childhood experiences and depression – which could have derailed my own progress. I emphasized the importance of having good support networks, faith in yourself, and learning to love yourself before you can adequately give to others. Women make a difference in so many ways, but most importantly through the love, care and inspiration that they provide to their own children. Having six children of my own, 4 of whom have now married and are now successfully pursuing their careers after University education, I rate my other initiatives as secondary to the importance of assisting with their development.

The best part of the night for me was sitting next to Marcia Hines. In the panel discussions she talked about her own difficulties struggling with the cold in winter and her asthma affliction. The time alone at home from school during the long, cold, winter months, gave her determination at the early age of 4 to be a singer. A very sensitive and warm person, I managed to score an autograph for my son before the night ended!

Many struggling parents whose children are educated in public schools would probably resent schools such as MLC. Certainly the divide between rich and poor, public and private schools is widening daily. The very talented and impressive Principal – Rosa Storelli – shared with me briefly my concerns about the difficulty in working with public schools, sharing knowledge and mentoring.

Public schools cannot compete or adequately develop in the current environment of under-funding. I continue to be appalled at the amount of money that is poured into wealthy private schools, without the consequent support given to the vast majority of students who attend public schools. Although a private school Principal myself, our fees, legal struggles and problems with Council effectively deprived us of the opportunity to develop as most other private schools have. In fact, Noor Al Houda as it was, certainly had less facilities and support than any other city public school. However, teachers and administrators should be able to work as colleagues whether they are in a public or a private school. It is my intention to work for substantially increased funding for public schools, and far greater co-operation between public and private schools in knowledge, administration techniques and overall professional support.

Many thanks to MLC for a wonderful night and congratulations on the beautiful students that I saw there.