Former Punchbowl High principal’s plan to deradicalise Muslim kids

EXCLUSIVE: Muslim students would volunteer at RSLs, surf-lifesaving and take part in the Kokoda Trek under a plan former Punchbowl High School principal Jihad Dib wants to roll out to stop radicalisation.

Mr Dib said he felt “saddened” at the developments at his former school.

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MUSLIM students would volunteer at RSLs, surf-lifesaving and walk the Kokoda Track under a plan that former Punchbowl Boys High School principal Jihad Dib wants to roll out to stop radicalisation.

The voluntary state government anti-extremism program would also be made mandatory, with the scheme to be rolled out to “city and country” schools to remove its stigma, while teachers would be ­encouraged to talk students about those who had joined the terror group ISIS.

The NSW opposition education spokesman, who was credited for transforming the troubled southwestern Sydney public school, also wants a ­dedicated person to collect data on student absenteeism and ­behaviour as part of identifying students who may be at risk of becoming radicalised.

Jihad Dib said he agreed the school had been “shut down” from the community. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Dib said he felt “saddened” at the developments at his former school, which had led to the removal of his ­former colleague and successor Chris Griffiths and deputy Joumana Dennaoui earlier this year.

The pair, who were removed following allegations of discrimination against female teachers and concerns among police about radicalisation, are awaiting their fate after taking their case to the NSW Industrial ­Relations Commission.

The NSW Department of Education is understood to be preparing for the possibility the commission may order for the pair to be reinstated.

However, Mr Dib said he agreed the school had been “shut down” from the community, with community-based programs he had initiated scrapped.

These initiatives had included community dinners, football matches with police, and excursions such as to the Kokoda Track.

Mr Dib said stopping radicalisation was about ensuring vulnerable students had strong community role models and felt connected to Australia.

“Shutting down a school from the community is wrong — we need to give students a sense of belonging by breaking down barriers with the community,” he said.

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“We took some kids to do Kokoda — it showed kids from Punchbowl the story of Australia.

“We introduced the sense of social responsibility through volunteering at RSL clubs, surf lifesaving — these are the things that we need to do again to break down the barriers.”

Mr Dib said he also wanted teachers to be able to talk openly about cases where students had joined ISIS to ­remove the “martyr” status, while also monitoring religious teachings to ensure they were “mainstream”.

He also wanted schools to forge closer relations with police, so students recognised them as part of the community rather than as the enemy.

As for students fleeing to Syria, Mr Dib said it was ­important teachers did not drive the issue underground by not talking about the issue.

“You can’t pretend it doesn’t happen — that’s the worst thing we can do,” he said.

“It needs to be talked about, for kids to ask questions and for us to tell them what we know.”