Students are taught pro-voice stance, says parent

An Anglican school in Sydney has been accused of ‘brainwashing’ a class of year 9 students into adopting a supportive stance on the voice to parliament debate.

An Anglican school in Sydney has been accused of “brainwashing” a class of year 9 students into adopting a supportive stance on the voice to parliament debate.

William Clarke College in ­Kellyville has faced claims from a parent that it taught the voice using materials from the proposed referendum’s supporters with no opposing views represented in the class.

The parent said students were directed to complete a five-part online course which aimed at teaching how to “have conversations with your family and friends about why this issue is important to you” and listen to a podcast from the voice’s co-designer Marcia Langton.

The parent spoke on the condition of anonymity and said the ­lesson “worried” him.

“It’s pretty clear what (the teacher’s) message is in relation to the voice,” he said. “If you work through the links … you’ll come up with one answer and that is ‘we must pass the voice, otherwise we’re a bunch of racists’.’’

Screenshots of a presentation that was shown to Year 9 students at William Clarke College in Kellyville, teaching in favour of the voice to parliament.

William Clarke College head Alex Coch said the parent did not come to the school with his concerns. “It is unfortunate that the parent who complained did not raise his concern with the school,” Mr Coch said.

“He would have discovered that this lesson is part of the English syllabus, not Social Studies or any other subject in which students are taught to explore writing techniques and concepts in the framing of debates.

“William Clarke College does not hold or promote a particular view on the proposed referendum regarding a potential Indigenous voice to parliament.”

A screenshot of a presentation shown to the class included a slide that encouraged students to imagine that aliens invaded earth to enslave humans.

The question “would it be just for the aliens to allow humans to have a say in the creation of the laws that will govern their lives?” was included, likening the scenario to Australia’s colonisation.