SA Commissioner for Children and Young People says survey raises concerns over Christian schools

A new survey has prompted a warning for parents to choose private schools wisely after claims harassment and discrimination issues were worse at certain institutions.

Many religious schools – – particularly those linked to fundamental Christian doctrines – foster discrimination against sexually diverse students and fail to provide a safe place, the Commissioner for Children and Young People says.

In a report published on Friday – world Wear It Purple day – commissioner Helen Connolly said South Australian schools should be aware of their legal obligations and parents should be concerned their children could be ostracised and bullied.

Supplied Editorial Fwd: Replacement photo of Commissioner Helen Connolly

Some religious schools, including most of the Catholic sector and the longer established independent schools, did operate respectfully and she hoped newer independent Christian schools could learn from these examples.

“I surmise parents choose Christian schools for the whole ethos, for the good aspects like justice, compassion and humanity,” she said.

“But when you’re choosing a school for your year 3 or 5 child, you may not be thinking about what if my child is gay and how that will work out for them in the longer term.

“If your child becomes ‘the other’, how do you want them to be treated?”

The commissioner’s report, No Exceptions, draws on numerous conversations with young people and a survey specifically about the issue at religious schools.

The survey was open-ended, with the 86 respondents aged 13 to 22 providing anecdotes and comments.

These revealed a continuum of discrimination – from being ignored in the curriculum to “open discrimination and harassment that repeatedly went unchallenged”, the report said.

A common complaint from students was that when bullying was alleged, the school leadership failed to investigate and support the LGBTQIA+ student to avoid reputational damage to the institution if the incident became public.

Problems were most prevalent at religious schools.

At public schools, the system explicitly prevented discrimination even though there failures at the individual level, Ms Connolloy said.

Survey respondents suggest open discrimination against sexually diverse students went unchallenged in religious schools.

Ms Connolly did not name individual institutions but said newer, independent Christian schools were least accepting of diversity and most ignorant of their legal obligations to ensure students are not discriminated against.

Association of Independent Schools of SA chief executive Carolyn Grantskalns said she respected Ms Connolly and her advocating for every child.

“However, the survey is a very small sample from which to make sweeping observations,” she said. “All schools care about their students.”

Ms Grantskalns knew of fundamentalist schools which had expelled students for bullying gay contemporaries and noted the Uniting Church was very inclusive.

She welcomed the report giving all schools a reminder to reflect on their practices and how that accorded with their beliefs.

Catholic Education director Neil McGoran. Picture: Emma Brasier)

Catholic Education director Neil McGoran said gave an assurance that “there is a place for every young person in a Catholic school where they feel known, valued and included”.

National organisation Christian Schools Australia rejected the commissioner’s findings.

“All Christian schools have strong anti-bullying and harassment policies and procedures, and take allegations of these practices very seriously,” spokesman Mark Spencer said.

“Principals ... are shocked at the suggestions that bullying, regardless of the basis, would be tolerated at their schools.”

Christian schools provided education in a way that was consistent with Biblical values and beliefs, including “about how marriage is understood and expressed as being between a man and a woman, and the nature of personhood and gender”, he said.

These beliefs were held by billions of people around the globe “if not supported by the small numbers of young people within the survey”.

Ms Connolly’s investigation followed a submission she made to reforms to the Equal Opportunity Act proposed by Attorney-General Vickie Chapman in late 2020.

The reforms aimed to remove an exception to discrimination law for religious bodies that provide essential services, including children’s education, health care, aged care, emergency accommodation, public housing, and foster care placement, Ms Chapman said.

The reform Bill is being redrafted following public consultation and could be introduced to parliament early next year.

Ms Connolloy said young people called for changes to the school curriculum so that diversity was openly discussed and normalised.

Changes also were needed to school leadership and culture.

Ms Connolloy did not think it was her role to make recommendations but hoped schools would learn from each other on best practice.