News

Parents choose faith-based schools, expecting that all staff will uphold their faith’s values

FamilyVoice Victoria director Peter Stevens wants to know why the Andrews government is delaying, possibly indefinitely, an upper house vote on the controversial Equal Opportunity Amendment (Religious Exceptions)Bill.

The bill has already passed the Legislative Assembly.  Debate has begun in the Legislative Council, and a vote was expected this week – but nothing happened. 

The bill has caused great community concern because it would deny parents their right, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to determine the religious and moral education of their children. 

“All staff at a faith-based school – not only chaplains, but teachers, receptionists, librarians and groundspeople – have an impact on the students by the way they live their lives,” Peter Stevens said.  “Yet this bill would limit the school’s right to select the most suitable staff for all positions.  A government appointee would have the power to determine whether faith is an ‘inherent requirement’ for jobs at the school.

“By contrast, Premier Andrews has no such restriction.  He is free to choose all his personal staff from those who support Labor Party values.  How fair is that?”

A majority of Victorian Legislative Councillors are said to share Peter Stevens’ concerns.

“Please bring on the vote, Mr Premier!” he said.

A majority of Israeli children between nine and 15 have been exposed to online porn and violence

FamilyVoice research officer Ros Phillips has praised a recent move by the Israeli Knesset (parliament) to give initial approval to a bill to protect children.  It would require internet service providers to block access to pornographic, gambling and violent websites by default.  “Customers would have to personally contact their internet providers to have the block removed,” she said. 

The bill was co-sponsored by lawmakers from across the political spectrum. The only party that refused to support the bill was left-wing Meretz.

“The damaging influence of watching, and addiction to, pornographic and severe violence has been proven in many studies, with great harm to children,” said MP Moalem-Refaeli. “Today, it is easier for a child to consume harsh content on the internet than to buy an ice cream at the local kiosk.” 

The bill mentions the “negative side of the internet which includes gambling, violence, pornography, pedophilia and more, which are apt to harm the public who are exposed to them, especially children”.  It also points out that 60 percent of Israeli children between the ages of nine and fifteen have already been exposed to internet pornography, and cites reports and studies of children hurt by exposure to harmful or sexual content on the internet, causing long-term damage.

Ros Phillips is hoping the current Australian Senate inquiry on the harm to children from online pornography will recommend similar legislation when it hands down its report, due on 23 November this year.

“Something needs to be done urgently to address this problem”, she said.