Catholic School apologises for Hitler prize
A Catholic primary school in the inner-city are a of Perth awarded a prize to a pupil who characterised Adolph Hitler for a book-week dress-up day.
As the judges, who included the school’s principal, were going through the decision-making process, the child dressed as Hitler received chants of “Hitler” from his schoolmates as he was being assessed.
The principal told media that he “took umbrage” to the calls being chants. He said they were part of “the voting process”. He said that other characters’ names were called out during the voting.
The school received complaints from parents some of whom objected to the child wearing a swastika on his uniform.
An apology has been circulated to the parents who were offended and The West Australian reports that Junior schoolteachers will “debrief students in a pastoral way to ensure students understand the significance of their choice of character and the impact it has on other people”.
The school will..
“debrief students in a pastoral way to ensure students understand the significance of their choice of character and the impact it HAS ON OTHER PEOPLE”.
Are you kidding?? Is this school Catholic or not??? How about the impact on the child’s spiritual formation.
I’ll be sure not send my children to this school.
What is it with schools in Perth! Recently they were taught in a class how to prepare for a terrorist attack – and not as potential victims, but as perpetrators. The teacher, apparently, was “counselled”.
All students as part of the school curriculum should read about issues such as this.
By grade 6 the Diary of Anne Frank is a sound beginning and in fact one Catholic school I’m aware of was doing this 14 years ago.
Julia Gillard was going to implement it at some time as Minister of Education.
A very good idea.