Push to ban ‘dehumanising’ critical race theory in schools

Emphasising the idea individuals are victims or oppressors as a result of skin colour, critical race theory has come under fire for increasing rather than decreasing racial tension.

The Institute of Public Affairs has launched a campaign urging state, territory, and federal governments to ban the teaching of critical race theory, or CRT, in schools.

The doctrine, which goes by a number of names including “anti-racism training”, has swept through school systems overseas.

Emphasising the idea that society is built on a foundation of structural racism and that individuals are victims or oppressors as a result of their skin colour, CRT has come under increasing fire for increasing rather than decreasing racial tension.

Launching the campaign and calling on the Morrison government to take action, Dr Bella D’Abrera, Director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs, said: “Critical race theory is repugnant, dehumanising, and undignified because it teaches that the colour of someone’s skin defines who they are.”

Dr Bella d'Abrera, resident historian for the Institute of Public Affairs, says CRT is ‘dehumanising’. Picture: Stuart McEvoy for the Australian.

“It is also incompatible with the Australian way of life and mainstream Australian values which are based on egalitarianism, classlessness, and treating one another based on merit and capacity to contribute to community and country.”

“Critical race theory is teaching our children to hate themselves, hate each other, and hate their country. It must be banned from all schools.”

“There is more that unites us than divides us as Australians. Values such as freedom of speech, egalitarianism, liberal democracy, and reward for effort speak to all Australians regardless of their racial background.”

“Australia is being torn apart by divisive identity politics and critical race theory which holds that Australia is irredeemably racist and bigoted.”

Lindfield Learning Village where primary school classes were displaying student-made posters with the words ’stop killer cops’ and ‘pigs out of the country"’. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“Scott Morrison must match words with actions and ban critical race theory from being taught in all schools.”

‘Momentum is building around the western world to ban critical race theory from being taught in schools because it is destroying a generation of children.”

The campaign comes on the heels of increasing controversy over a proposed new national curriculum, which has been accused of downgrading Australia’s European heritage, as well as a number of incidents in schools where students have been singled out for their race or religion in the name of tolerance.

Last month in Melbourne, Year 11 boys at a local secondary college were forced as part of a “diversity and inclusion” presentation to stand up if they were white, male, or Christian, and be labelled as “oppressors”.

Parkdale Secondary College in Melbourne, where students were labelled as “oppressors during a “diversity and inclusion” presentation.

Meanwhile on Sydney’s north shore, this newspaper revealed that students had been making anti-police posters in class reading “Stop Killer Cops” and “Pigs Out of the Country”.

In the US, critical race theory has become an issue in local elections, where politicians have far more direct control over what is taught in the classroom than in Australia.

In Texas this week, a slate of progressive candidates were handily defeated by more than two to one by conservatives who promised to end a plan to bring CRT into local schools.

“By a landslide vote, they don’t want racially divisive critical race theory taught to their children or forced on their teachers. Voters agreed with my positive vision of our community and its future,” one winning candidate was quoted as saying.

Originally published as Push to ban ‘dehumanising’ critical race theory in schools