Opinion: Schools need to educate, not discriminate

I was deeply disturbed when parents from my electorate contacted me about a contract their school wanted them to sign. As a practising Christian it truly worried me, writes Corrine McMillan.

Deciding where to send your child to school is one of the biggest decisions parents will make. There is a huge level of trust placed in teachers, principals and the school community and parents rightfully expect that their children will not only receive a high-quality education, but that they will be cared for, nurtured and kept safe.

In my 24 years as an educator, I felt that trust deeply and strived to honour it.

This is why I was so disturbed when parents from Citipointe Christian College, a school in my electorate, contacted me with deep concerns about a new contract it was asking parents to sign. The document included a statement of faith that not only describes homosexuality as a sin, but puts it alongside bestiality, incest and pedophilia. It also includes a paragraph on why the school expects children to “identify with the gender God bestowed on them”.

Citipointe Christian College had asked students to sign a controversial contract.

The message here was clear: LGBTIQ+ students are to be seen by the school community as an abomination in the eyes of God.

Imagine how it must feel for those gay or transgender students dealing with the consequences of these statements.

As the local member and a practising Christian, I worry deeply about these students, many of whom may not have come out to their parents and peers. We know the rates of self-harm among gay and transgender young people are already too high.

Thankfully, after an enormous backlash, the contract has now been withdrawn. This is an important win and should demonstrate once and for all that the job of a school is to educate, not discriminate.

Member for Mansfield Corrine McMillan.

My fondest memories as a principal include shaking the hands of graduating students. I was never conscious of the colour of students’ eyes or skin, their gender or their sexuality. These differences are irrelevant to the crucial teaching and learning process. What matters is that each child is given the support they need to thrive. That is what all schools should be focused on.

Corrine McMillan is the Member for Mansfield and a former high school principal