Toxic identity politics polluting Victorian schools
Remember when schools focused on the traditional foundations of education: reading, writing and arithmetic?
Parents can look forward to a few additional Rs being added to the curriculum when the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program is rolled out at Victorian schools next year.
Instead of worrying about literacy and numeracy, the State Government appears preoccupied with filling young minds with ideological drivel based on activist research that paints boys as predators and girls as perpetual victims.
The Safe Schools program has understandably received greater attention and criticism than the respectful relationships program.
But rest assured, both are sides of the same irrational coin, using highly contentious theories and easily discredited studies on gender and sexuality to indoctrinate young minds.
Much of the program is unfit for any educational institution, particularly primary and secondary schools where students are expected to uncritically accept what they are told.
It does not stand up to any level of scrutiny. Cherry-picked “facts”, flawed reasoning and the deliberate omission of pertinent details combine to create conclusions that are neither correct nor helpful.
The program is supposed to combat the scourge of domestic violence and smash sexist stereotypes, but ignores a wealth of non-activist, international peer-reviewed research, and instead relies on radical feminist dogma.
It’s the type of ideologically driven sloppy thinking that belongs in a socialist alliance get-together, not in schools.
At best, it’s simplistic; at worst, it’s sinister social engineering that could do significant damage.