Controversial critical race theory still being taught in NSW classrooms

Critical race theory, which claims to teach against racism, is still being taught in NSW classrooms despite being outlawed by the Senate.

The NSW Department of Education is continuing to list resources that promote the teaching of critical race theory in classrooms, despite the Australian Senate passing a resolution against the practice last June.

On Tuesday, it was reported an official department web page hosting a range of so-called “anti-racism” resources for teachers had disappeared as part of an upgrade.

However, The Daily Telegraph can reveal that despite concerns raised by state and federal education ministers the page has resurfaced and promotes organisations such as US-based Learning for Justice, whose homepage features an article advising teachers how to fight laws designed to stop the teaching of critical race theory.

A number of state legislatures in the US have passed laws to stop such racially divisive doctrines, which categorise people by skin colour and teach that everyone is either an oppressor or oppressed.

Learning for Justice also offers free lesson plans for teachers to promote so-called intersectional politics, which encourages people to see one another not as individuals but instead tells students “we all have multiple identity characteristics that make us who we are, and the intersection of these identities come together to create unique forms of privilege and oppression.”

Bella d’Abrera, director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation program at the Institute of Public Affairs, said these types of classroom resources went far beyond the scope of addressing racism.

Dr Bella d’Abrera from the Institute of Public Affairs

“They are promoting radical ideologies such as identity politics and critical race theory which are dangerous and divisive, and which need to be kept out of Australia classrooms,” Dr d’Abrera said.

Other lessons come courtesy of the Australian Human Rights Commission, which teaches Australia is a structurally racist nation and that is to blame for Indigenous disadvantage.

The site also continues to feature the department’s own Racism No Way project, which has previously been criticised for promoting a “privilege for sale” game and telling students Australia is an inherently ­racist country.

“These materials do the opposite to what they purport to do. They are not anti-racist, but rather racist because they teach children that they should not look beyond their superficial differences,” Dr d’Abrera said.

“Children do not see colour but yet they are turned against each other by bureaucrats. This is unacceptable.”

The focus on so called anti-racism comes as NSW’s education performance continues to decline.

This year, the state’s year 9 students recorded their worst- ever NAPLAN reading performance, with one in 10 failing to meet basic national minimum standards.

An Education Department spokesman said: “The department has an anti-racism policy, which commits the department to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination in NSW government schools.”