A Church of Scientology group has been targeting Victorian schools with propaganda about the dangers of psychiatrists, antidepressants and ADHD medication.
It has prompted Education Minister James Merlino to urge principals to toss out the DVDs, letters and glossy pamphlets from the Scientology group.
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Scientologists target Victorian schools
DVDs peddling propaganda that psychiatry is dangerous have been sent to every state school in Victoria.
"We trust that they are able to choose correctly what information is useful for their school and I am confident this would be thrown in the bin," he said.
Earlier this week, the Australian office of the Citizens Committee on Human Rights – which was established by the Church of Scientology – sent material about the "psychiatric drugging of Australian children" to every principal in the state.
Schools were asked to screen the slick 50 minute documentary, which accuses the psychiatric industry of lying and says its practices are "killing our children, our families and our communities".
It includes footage of children popping pills and claims that there is "no evidence that depression is caused by chemical imbalance".
The letter, which was signed by the group's executive director Shelley Wilkins, claimed that undiagnosed medical conditions were manifesting as "psychiatric symptoms" and raised concerns about the high numbers of Australian children taking ADHD drugs and antidepressants.
She said children needed a thorough medical check to find "the cause of the problem".
The group also took aim at Beyondblue and its KidsMatter program in schools, which it described as a "mental disorder screening program" based on "subjective and arbitrary questions that any child could test positive for".
Glen Park Primary School principal Tony Shaw, who received the package on Monday, said he was concerned that the group was targeting schools.
He said that in his 24 years as a principal he had never been contacted by the Church of Scientology.
"Schools should not be the battleground for their fight with psychiatry," he said.
"If they want to do it they should do it somewhere else and not bring schools and children into it."
He said he showed the material to his school council president, who was "a bit surprised".
Scientologists have waged a long-running war against psychiatry, with its founder L. Ron Hubbard labelling the psychiatric industry a terrorist group.
The Citizens Committee on Human Rights has been described as a front group for Scientologists and claims that "no mental "diseases" have ever been proven to medically exist".
Ms Wilkins said the material had been sent to every Victorian school and the feedback had been positive.
"For years teachers and parents have contacted CCHR concerned by the high rate of psychotropic drug use in children," she said.
She said the group was founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Dr Thomas Szasz a professor of psychiatry.
Ms Wilkins said the group was a non-religious public watchdog that fought for patient rights and protections.
Australian Principals Federation president Julie Podbury said principals were being targeted because they were in a position of influence.
"I would expect my members to make a reasonable judgment about it and determine that it is not appropriate," she said.
"Every day as a principal we would receive stuff that was undesirable. Books arrive about controversial views, for the library, it is not unusual for any group to contact a school and offer services and support."
A Beyondblue spokeswoman said that its KidsMatter program was respected and designed to help teachers and families support children's mental health by offering evidence-based information and advice.
"It does not offer diagnostic screening," she said.