By Emma Partridge
The NSW Opposition has called for a parliamentary inquiry into radicalisation in schools, following last week's terror attack carried out by a 15-year-old student.
Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney has called on the Baird government to do more since the completion of a state-wide audit of prayer groups in schools across the state.
"The government's last audit found nothing to report to police – we need something more thorough to establish how best to prevent radicalisation in schools," Ms Burney said.
Ms Burney has said the inquiry should look at the current regulation of prayer groups, ways to prevent radicalisation and how to better support teaching staff and students.
"To see a 15-year-old commit such a horrific act is truly disturbing": Linda Burney.Credit: Michele Mossop
Last Friday, Arthur Phillip High School student Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar fatally shot NSW police employee Curtis Cheng outside the state's police headquarters.
"To see a 15-year-old commit such a horrific act is truly disturbing," Ms Burney said.
"We need to be sure that students are never exposed to this kind of radicalisation in schools.
"We need to know how the education department is managing the risks now and how it can do better in the future."
Arthur Phillip High School.Credit: James Brickwood
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the government was working in consultation with police on the issue of radicalisation and would announce new measures at a later date.
"There is a range of programs that we are looking to implement both in the Muslim community, in our schools, and together in the broader community. There is a role for all of us to play," Premier Mike Baird said on Wednesday.
An audit into school prayer groups was announced in July following allegations a year 12 student at Epping Boys High was trying to influence fellow students into adopting his extremist views.
Fairfax Media revealed the teenage gunman involved in last week's terror attack had been attending voluntary lunchtime prayer groups at Arthur Phillip High School.
Jabar was in the same year as a 16-year-old Islamic State supporter who yelled abuse outside a Christian school and flew the terror group's flag through western Sydney in 2014.
Concerns have previously been raised about lunch time religious sessions run by students at another school, East Hills Boys High.
This was after one of the students involved later escaped to Syria in an attempt to join Islamic State.
The 16-year-old, known as Feiz, left Australia with the so-called Ginger Jihadi, Abdullah Elmir, who has since featured in IS propaganda videos.