Don’t ever apologise for demanding the best for your child.
We live in a democratic society that gives us a voice by virtue of our right to elect our government representatives. Schools have a similar representative system. Elections are held to determine who will represent the school community on the school council or board.
Parents have a right to know precisely what takes place in schools. And rightly so. It is understood that a school’s responsibility is to educate its students, but what is not always articulated clearly is that education involves not only teaching, but also the provision of advice.
According to the Victorian Department of Education, principals and teachers are frequently called upon to advise students. It recommends that teachers, when doing so, should limit themselves to areas within their professional competence and avoid giving advice in areas unrelated to their role or where they might lack experience.
What then constitutes a teacher’s ‘professional competence’ or ‘experience’? If teachers deliver curriculum content to students, is it implied that they have the professional competence to provide students with advice related to that content?
Consider these 4 examples – taken from real situations in Australian schools:
1. Teachers are using vibrators – devices used for sexual stimulation – to show 14-year old students how to put on condoms. Do these teachers have the professional competence to deliver this content, or to advise students on what to do if, for example, a condom were to break?
2. The definition of ‘asset’ has been widely accepted to mean: ‘a resource that is owned or controlled by an entity, which has a future economic benefit’. In textbooks referred to by VCE students studying accounting, this definition has been amended by deleting the word ‘owned’. Do teachers who have never practised as accountants understand the implications of this change in the ‘real world’? Are they equipped to advise students on the establishment and control of entities?
3. More than 16,000 science teachers have signed up to access a Year 9 resource that teaches students how to lobby for environmental issues and discuss who to vote for, based on the issue of climate change. Do these teachers have the professional competence to blend science and politics in a bipartisan manner, or to advise students – who are not even eligible to vote – on political issues of any kind?
4. Christian schools are introducing gender neutral uniforms and providing forums for students to discuss their ‘transgender’ identity. Do teachers have the professional competence to challenge Christian values, or to advise students on matters of gender that contradict Christian values?
Schools operate in a democratic system, where the people elect the government, and the school community elects its school boards or councils. How well informed are you about what takes place in your child’s school? How willing is the leadership at your child’s school to consult with you, and other parents, on any and all matters that have an impact on your values, morality and political standing? What right do schools have to deliver content or advice regarding matters of which you have not been made aware?
Most importantly, why doesn’t the Victorian Department of Education website state that principals and teachers do not have the right to advise students on any matters without parental permission. Surely this would help distinguish professional competence from opinion; it would certainly provide better protection for principals and teachers, with regard to duty of care.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t ever apologise for demanding the best for your child. Assert your right to know what’s really going on in Australian schools.
Be the voice that democracy expects you to be.
Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Lacey All rights reserved.
Parent, educationist and advocate of agitating change in Australian education. By raising the bar we can face any global challenges facing Australia and Australians.
Contact me at cheryl@cheryllacey.com to learn how we can work together.
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If you’re looking for a thought provoking presenter or speaker for your next professional learning day or event, reach out.
cheryl@cheryllacey.com or +61 419 518 811
Speaking gives me the opportunity to deliver insightful messages about our need to advocate for the best possible educators and those they serve.
