School play on stolen generation shows children abusing others
A NORTHERN Beaches primary school is under fire for an
Australian history play that left parents horrified after it featured some Year 6 students dressed as nuns to abuse “Aboriginal” children.Forestville Public School staged the “Australia You’re Standing In It” concerts, which also featured younger students wearing “sorry” placards, over four days last week.
The school praised the content in its newsletter, saying: “We were pleased to see that at last the truth is being taught about Australia’s ‘discovery’ by Captain Cook as well as the ‘truth’ about our treatment of the stolen generation”.
The concert’s scenes included sections featuring Year 6 students dressed up as nuns “pretending to mentally and physically abuse the children playing the role of the stolen generation”.
Last night NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said he was “aware of concerns in the community about content covered in a recent student concert” and requested a “full report from the Department of Education on what occurred”.
“While acknowledging the event was well intentioned, I wish to apologise to anyone who was offen-ded by any of the performance,” he said.
Parents at Forestville Public School, including Frenchs Forest father and former Socceroos star Robbie Slater, attacked the school for using “children as political pawns” in the concerts.Mr Slater said he was “disgusted” when he saw the play last Friday at the school, where his five-year-old son Matthew is in kindergarten.
“It’s a great school but this was serious misjudgment; little children should not be exposed to that,” Mr Slater said.
“At certain stages I walked out, I didn’t want to watch it to be honest.
“It’s inappropriate to push a political agenda on children.”He said one of the segments, dubbed the “Stolen Generation”,
had children carrying placards saying sorry and other children crying to Simon & Garfunkel song The Sound of Silence.“They are very impressionable young children,” Mr Slater said.
“It was bloody disgraceful. I don’t think using five, six or seven-year-old kids is appropriate to push your own political agenda.”
Other parents and grandparents rang the 2GB Ray Hadley show to complain about the concerts, saying
they felt the school had “used their children politically”.Hadley demanded NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister, Pittwater MR, Rob Stokes, take action.
“If these imbeciles want to do this at a five and six year old’s school concert, let them do it as themselves.
“But don’t use little kids carrying placards to do it and don’t put parents in the situation of having to clap for their own children even though they’re appalled by what’s happening,” he said.
A statement read by Hadley from the Department of Education said: “As part of the year six student presentation on the stolen generation, students reproduced placards they’d seen in source material. The Department of Education is currently looking at the circumstances of this particular activity.”
A spokesman later confirmed it was “currently looking into the matter.”
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said he was “aware of concerns” and added: “I have requested a full report from the Department of Education on what occurred.
“While the event was well intentioned, I wish to apologise to anyone who was offended by any of the performance.
“Schools should reflect on how best to deal sensitively with tricky or contentious issues that may divide communities.”
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