Welcome to 3AW. Skip directly to: Search Box, Section Navigation, Content.

3AW - Fairfax Radio Network

Saturday July 31, 2010

What we're talking about

Religious test for parents before enrollment

Posted by: Tom Elliott for 3AW.com.au | 17 June, 2009 - 5:26 PM
I want to talk now about discrimination, and in particular why it is that some sorts of discrimination are wrong, while others seem to be ok.

Recently State Attorney General Rob Hulls reiterated his call for men only clubs to open up their doors to women in the name of equality.

The fact that such institutuons, like the Melbourne Club (of which i’m a member), the Athenaeum and the Australian Club are little more than social organisations means little to the crusading Mr Hulls.

To him these clubs don’t admit people of both genders, and therefore they’re wrong.
Yet no one says anything about women only clubs like the Lyceum and the Alexandra. Or female gyms, like Fernwood. Apparently not admitting men is an acceptable form of discrimination.

And when it comes to religion, in the past the state govt has thrown up its hands and said many sorts of discrimination are permissible. Religious schools, for example, have been free for some time to refuse employment to those of other faiths, or presumably those who have no faith at all.

Well perhaps change is in the air, and not before time.

Today we learnt that the principal of Donvale Christian College is praying to God in an effort to retain the right to employ only teachers who share his and the school’s religious views.

In addition, Donvale College wants to enrol only students of whom at least one parent comes from an active Christian faith background.

The school’s principal is doing this because a parliamentary committee is considering whether to maintain the exemption religious schools currently enjoy under the anti discrimination act.

I think it’s time we injected some consistency into the discrimination debate. When it comes to employing people, then objecting to people on the basis of their faith or their ethnicity is simply wrong.

So instead of getting in a lather about social organisations like Men’s Clubs, Mr Hulls should pay much closer attention to genuine and official employment discrimination at faith based schools.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Tom - I want my kids in a school and environment where the ethos matches those in our home, however I choose that to be, until they determine their own life choices; whether I exercise this in the private system or state system.
    Teachers don't just transmit knowledge, they promote and are core to the school's ethos. This is the point you clearly miss. Just like you don't just dispense financial advice alone, you invariably do it with your own culture, ethics and ethos.
    It is none of your business to tell me that when I pay private school fees, YOUR culture should be the one I submit to under this banner of non-discrimation.
    You have huge double standards Tom. And it is because of your incredible double standards, that I won't be listening any further.

    PL Friday 19 June, 2009 - 3:31 PM

  • Our society is becomming to religious based...what ever happened to science, and evolution...it seams we have all turned into believers and we can't start the day without a prayer!!( Mr Kevin Rudd!)...I would like to see society free from religion being pushed in faces of everyone by massionaries....i cant even play soccer at North Caufield on saturday because the jews dont want to play on saturday....to all you religious bananas, go get a education, learn abuot science, the histroy of evoultion, read some literature, insstead of some wishy washy belief some one turned water into wine...i truly fear for the world ruled by religion

    Cem Friday 19 June, 2009 - 2:48 PM

  • Provided they pay their own way and say no to the public monies they receive They should be allowed to discriminate. I'm sure the Melbourne club or the other listed clubs are in the same position. There should be men's clubs and women's clubs! What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

    BOB Friday 19 June, 2009 - 8:03 AM

  • If faith based schools hate mainstream ideas so much why are they lining up for the filthy cash of non-believers to subsidise their chosen lifestyle.

    Feel free to discriminate when you pay your own way, not when this heathen has to pay you money to be excluded

    PH Thursday 18 June, 2009 - 10:52 PM

  • Parents send their children to faith based schools with certain expectations
    This is not a case of discrimination
    But real choice for the parents
    and the schools responsibilty to deliver on expextations.
    If i send mys son to AFL practice, I'd be disappointed to see them line upe for netball on game day

    Guryel Thursday 18 June, 2009 - 6:01 AM

  • Get off the stool Tom.
    You discriminate when you employ people. Academic record will vary from person to person. Ability to think and communicate, presentation, values reflected during interviews and so on. You then use similar methods and assessment criteria every time you promote people on ability, expertise, development, approach, outlook, beliefs, performance.
    These schools do exactly the same as you. If I was sending my child to this school I would have a specific expectation as to what my child is receiving. The school advertises such a thing and given I am paying for it; employing a non christian or person with no faith at all would incur my wrath for misleading and deceptive conduct.
    A bit like you employing a nanny for the office when I expect financial advice, mind you 12 months ago I might have resented it but hey all fund managers failed to read the signs. Let's hope these schools deliver what we pay for.

    Paddywhack Wednesday 17 June, 2009 - 10:58 PM

Post a comment * Mandatory fields