EJNelly
10-11-2006, 07:10 PM
Teen failed for stand on gays
Darrell Giles
October 08, 2006 12:00am
A 13-YEAR-OLD student was failed after she refused to write an assignment on life in a gay community, because of her religious and moral beliefs.
Her outraged mother, Christian groups and the State Opposition want an investigation into the treatment of the Year 9 student at Windaroo Valley State High School, south of Brisbane.
"It's no wonder our kids are struggling with the basics when the Government is allowing this sort of rubbish to be taught in the classroom," Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney told The Sunday Mail yesterday.
The uproar came as Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop this week announced plans for Canberra to take control of school curriculums from the states, accusing "ideologues" of hijacking the education system .
The girl was among a class of 13 and 14-year-olds asked to imagine living as a heterosexual among a mostly homosexual colony on the moon as part of their health and physical education subject.
They had to answer 10 questions, including how they felt about being in the minority and what strategies they would use to help them cope.
They were also asked to discuss where ideas about homosexuality came from.
Sources said the students were told not to discuss the assignment with their parents and that it was to be kept in-class.
They said many of the students were uncomfortable with the subject matter or did not understand the questions.
The 13-year-old girl instantly refused to do the assignment on religious and moral grounds.
"It is against my beliefs and I am not going there," she told the teacher, who responded by failing her.
After a series of discussions between the school and her mother, it was suggested the girl would be better off leaving the state education system and attending an independent school.
The girl's mother said yesterday she did not learn of the assignment until reading her daughter's report card several weeks later and discovered a first-ever fail mark for health and physical education.
"I went to the school thinking there might have been a personality clash with the teacher," said the mother, who asked to be identified only as Bronwyn.
She said she was shown the assignment. "When I started to read it I thought, 'Oh my God' . . . I was shocked by the content," she said.
"My daughter said she didn't want to do the assignment because she did not believe in homosexuality and did not want to answer the questions.
"She was being challenged, but she should not be challenged like that at her age."
Bronwyn was concerned that her daughter was not given an alternative scenario.
She said the school claimed it was powerless to change the curriculum.
Bronwyn said the school seemed more concerned about how parents found out about the assignment.
"That's what concerns me most . . . the parents had no opportunity to even see the assignment," Bronwyn said.
Ms Bishop said the incident highlighted her concerns.
"This is another example of a politically-correct agenda masquerading as curriculum," she said yesterday.
"Parents need to know the content of school curriculum so they can be confident their children are receiving a high quality education that is also consistent with their values."
The State Opposition and Australian Christian Lobby demanded an investigation.
Mr Seeney said Queensland needed common sense back in the classroom.
"The Beattie Labor Government has created a system that tries to tell kids what to think instead of teaching them how to think," he said.
"It is completely out of line for students to be graded on their moral beliefs.
"It's not the job of our schools to politicise our children. It is their function to provide our kids with the basics, like reading, writing and maths."
Christian Lobby state director Peter Earle said the assignment was not about education, rather a teacher or school pushing their own agenda on young minds.
"The subject matter was totally inappropriate," he said.
After being approached by The Sunday Mail, an Education Queensland spokeswoman late yesterday said the school had decided to drop the assignment from its curriculum and would work with the girl and her family to achieve a "satisfactory resolution".
"The aim of the assignment was to encourage students to think about diversity, culture and belief systems," she said.
"Schools can offer alternative assessment topics in consultation with parents, if the school is aware of concerns about an assignment."
If she were my kid I would have bitch slapped her. I feel the need to bitch slap the fuck out of people.
Darrell Giles
October 08, 2006 12:00am
A 13-YEAR-OLD student was failed after she refused to write an assignment on life in a gay community, because of her religious and moral beliefs.
Her outraged mother, Christian groups and the State Opposition want an investigation into the treatment of the Year 9 student at Windaroo Valley State High School, south of Brisbane.
"It's no wonder our kids are struggling with the basics when the Government is allowing this sort of rubbish to be taught in the classroom," Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney told The Sunday Mail yesterday.
The uproar came as Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop this week announced plans for Canberra to take control of school curriculums from the states, accusing "ideologues" of hijacking the education system .
The girl was among a class of 13 and 14-year-olds asked to imagine living as a heterosexual among a mostly homosexual colony on the moon as part of their health and physical education subject.
They had to answer 10 questions, including how they felt about being in the minority and what strategies they would use to help them cope.
They were also asked to discuss where ideas about homosexuality came from.
Sources said the students were told not to discuss the assignment with their parents and that it was to be kept in-class.
They said many of the students were uncomfortable with the subject matter or did not understand the questions.
The 13-year-old girl instantly refused to do the assignment on religious and moral grounds.
"It is against my beliefs and I am not going there," she told the teacher, who responded by failing her.
After a series of discussions between the school and her mother, it was suggested the girl would be better off leaving the state education system and attending an independent school.
The girl's mother said yesterday she did not learn of the assignment until reading her daughter's report card several weeks later and discovered a first-ever fail mark for health and physical education.
"I went to the school thinking there might have been a personality clash with the teacher," said the mother, who asked to be identified only as Bronwyn.
She said she was shown the assignment. "When I started to read it I thought, 'Oh my God' . . . I was shocked by the content," she said.
"My daughter said she didn't want to do the assignment because she did not believe in homosexuality and did not want to answer the questions.
"She was being challenged, but she should not be challenged like that at her age."
Bronwyn was concerned that her daughter was not given an alternative scenario.
She said the school claimed it was powerless to change the curriculum.
Bronwyn said the school seemed more concerned about how parents found out about the assignment.
"That's what concerns me most . . . the parents had no opportunity to even see the assignment," Bronwyn said.
Ms Bishop said the incident highlighted her concerns.
"This is another example of a politically-correct agenda masquerading as curriculum," she said yesterday.
"Parents need to know the content of school curriculum so they can be confident their children are receiving a high quality education that is also consistent with their values."
The State Opposition and Australian Christian Lobby demanded an investigation.
Mr Seeney said Queensland needed common sense back in the classroom.
"The Beattie Labor Government has created a system that tries to tell kids what to think instead of teaching them how to think," he said.
"It is completely out of line for students to be graded on their moral beliefs.
"It's not the job of our schools to politicise our children. It is their function to provide our kids with the basics, like reading, writing and maths."
Christian Lobby state director Peter Earle said the assignment was not about education, rather a teacher or school pushing their own agenda on young minds.
"The subject matter was totally inappropriate," he said.
After being approached by The Sunday Mail, an Education Queensland spokeswoman late yesterday said the school had decided to drop the assignment from its curriculum and would work with the girl and her family to achieve a "satisfactory resolution".
"The aim of the assignment was to encourage students to think about diversity, culture and belief systems," she said.
"Schools can offer alternative assessment topics in consultation with parents, if the school is aware of concerns about an assignment."
If she were my kid I would have bitch slapped her. I feel the need to bitch slap the fuck out of people.