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Parents ‘appalled’ as Melbourne school encourages kids to make anti-Adani propaganda

Tom Elliott
Article image for Parents ‘appalled’ as Melbourne school encourages kids to make anti-Adani propaganda

Students at a Melbourne primary school are staging an anti-Adani mine protest and making political posters as part of their study, in what one “appalled” parent has described as the “politicisation of kids”.

The opposition has called on Daniel Andrews to intervene over the “outrageous” social justice classes at Newlands Primary School in West Preston.

The protest is due to happen outside school hours, but parent Paul Cross, whose children are in younger classes than the Grade 5s involved, told Neil Mitchell it was still inappropriate.

“I think the topic is way too political and I don’t think the kids will truly understand,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s the right way to allow information to be spread around the school; I think they could deliver it via pamphlets or something like that.

“But to have a protest is a bit far-fetched.”

Mr Cross has expressed his concerns with the school and Education Minister James Merlino, but says the answers were “not satisfactory”.

Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith (pictured above) called on the Premier to intervene.

“Classrooms are not an opportunity for teachers to use them for their own political purposes, their own soapbox,” he said.

“Using a captive audience of 11-year-olds is pretty low to be honest.

“Daniel Andrews has got to step in here and tell this school that organising protests on an issue as controversial as this is not acceptable, particularly when … the grade 5s can’t spell June or Wednesday on their posters.”

Click PLAY for full interviews with Paul Cross and Tim Smith

Tom Elliott
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