Education leaders reject Federal MP Julian Hill’s claim faith-based schools undermine social cohesion

WA education leaders have rejected a claim by Federal frontbencher Julian Hill that a rise in faith-based schools and home schooling risks kids growing up without mixing with anyone outside their religious or ethnic group. Mr Hill, the Albanese Government’s assistant minister for citizenship, customs and multicultural affairs, this week warned that education could create barriers to social cohesion. “A big question is the growth in faith-based schools and home-schooling which means that it is increasingly possible to grow up in Australia from Prep to Year 12 without ever really mixing outside your faith or even ethnic group,” Mr Hill said in a speech to progressive think-tank the McKell Insitute. “If trends continue, we can expect to see steady growth in the number of faith-based schools, attended by a higher proportion of Australian kids — Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and more. “Alongside this, while modest still in overall numbers, home school registrations have grown rapidly over the last five years. “There are reports of quite extreme or conservative curricula being used which gives cause for pause and reflection if this trend continues. What is being taught to these kids? Are they mixing with broader society?” As the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion called in the wake of the Bondi attack got under way, Mr Hill suggested more effort was needed to get kids from different backgrounds to mingle, including in sport, extracurricular activities and social events. Islamic Schools Association of Australia chair Abdullah Khan said far from undermining social cohesion, faith-based schools strengthened it. “We provide extensive opportunities for students to mix with children from diverse backgrounds through interschool sports, joint academic programs, debating competitions, excursions and incursions, leadership forums, community service initiatives, volunteering with aged care facilities and feeding homeless people and interfaith dialogue activities,” he said. “Our students regularly interact and build meaningful relationships with peers from public, Catholic, Jewish, and other independent secular and faith-based schools.” Mr Khan, who also heads Perth’s Australian Islamic College, said there was a common misconception that Islamic schools were “monocultural”, but in many cases they were “among the most ethically diverse settings in the country”. “It is also worth emphasising that parents who choose Islamic schooling are not seeking separation from Australian society,” he said. “They are seeking an educational environment that nurtures their children’s academic growth alongside their core values. A strong and secure identity does not hinder social cohesion, it actively supports it.” Swan Christian Education Association chief executive Graeme Cross said there was significant research to challenge Mr Hill’s assertions. “There’s an assumption that Christian schools only have people of the same faith, but that’s fundamentally not true,” he said. “For example, Beechboro Christian School has more than 40 different language groups and many children from Hindu and Sikh backgrounds, as well as from the Christian faith tradition.” Dr Cross said social cohesion may improve if schools from all sectors placed an emphasis on explicitly teaching virtues and character development. A spokesperson for Catholic Education WA said its school communities were a “melting pot” of cultures, with families representing more than 150 home languages. Home Education WA Coordinator Sarah Hill said home-schooled children still had to register with the Education Department and study the WA Curriculum. She said many families turned to home education because the school system had not been able to meet their needs. Only an “incredibly small” percentage of home-educating parents tried to keep their children away from people or community groups they disagreed with. Many children came together in home education classes and took part in arts, sports, volunteering and other community activities. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said Australia was the “best country in the world” because of the value it placed on democracy, the rule of law, basic freedoms and a fair go. “It’s what helps hold us together and makes us who we are,” he said. “It’s something we pass from one generation to the next. And education has a big part to play in that. “That’s why Education Ministers have agreed to a focused review of the school curriculum, including strengthening an understanding of Australian values.”