Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 3:51:52 to 4:03:24
Senators question ACARA on addressing anti-Palestinian racism and the broader anti-racism framework within the national curriculum.
Topics: Education, Human rights, Social cohesion
Speakers: Mr. Stephen Gniel, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Senator Marielle Smith
>> Um, thanks chair. Um, the Australian Palestinian uh advocacy did a national report recently around um testimonies from the anti-Palestinian racism in schools register. Um that register has documented widespread systemic issues across Australian schools including verbal harassment, ignored racial violence uh and restrictions on cultural expression. Uh the report noted that some of the consequences of that is emotional exhaustion, anxiety, fear of academic or disciplinary reprisal and a stifling of open dialogue in classrooms. Uh, is Akara doing any work uh in relation to uh specifically anti-Palestinian racism when you're looking at the broader context of Islamophobia and other forms of racism?
>> Yeah. So again, um, Senator, that that terms of reference is, uh, going through the to ministers, uh, on Monday. And so at that point when we release that, um, but yes, the the broader, um, racism, um, hatred and discrimination of all kinds is being picked up in that next piece of work. As you'll understand, the first piece had a very specific focus um following um the the Bondi massacre um in particular and also the response to the special envoys report. Um this one responds to the Islamophobia special envoys report and in fact that report does go into um those areas of broader uh racism and hate. So those are the things center that we'll we'll certainly be looking to strengthen. I will say that we um you know without preempting ministers you know we are acutely aware of making sure that students um grow up in a society in which we uh understand difference um and we respect the difference of others um and that goes to even how we speak to each other um and how we listen to the views of others. So, Senator, I raised that because the Australian curriculum from a very young age and from um a very specific focal point starts with those um those core behaviors of of young children that allow us to then have some of those harder discussions um around the specifics that we're particularly of focus uh at the moment.
I guess there's a concern that at the moment it looks like we're creating hierarchies of racism. You know, that we're exceptionalizing some forms of racism over others. Um I note that the Australian Human Rights Anti-Racism Commissioner is report has been sitting there for over a couple of years now. It has some pretty clear recommendations for how we should be addressing racism across the board rather than exceptionalizing some forms of racism over others. Um is that has has AAR um looked at the anti the human rights anti-racism framework? Have you looked at the um anti-Palestinian racism report? Like are you across those documents in terms of how they're going to feed into the curriculum around racism?
>> Uh yes is the short answer. those we will look at those um senator especially this certainly the human rights commission um report one is one of the things that we've looked at um in doing the first part of the work um because as I said um you know we've heard those uh concerns as well I think um Aara was given a very clear brief um and terms of reference about uh the prioritization that we were to do through this piece of work but we've also been asked um or about to be asked, Senator, to do that broader work on ensuring that um all forms of racism and hate um whether they be religious, um racial, gender based, all of those things, we need to make sure um that the curriculum does its job in terms of what we want children to learn and understand. Um and of course that's in the context of the wider community and some of the um you know the the the broader concerns that I think we all are uh have uh that we're seeing both um locally but also internationally
>> is in terms of the um the the recommendations from the anti-semitism royal commission is a car taking into account that there are some aspects potentially by focusing on on that one particular form of racism that that in fact could cause distress to other students in the classroom like for example Palestinian students who are currently experiencing heightened racism and in fact you know are suffering a genocide at the hands of of an Israeli state and that that in fact could cause trauma to some of those students. >> Is that being taken into account? So,
Senator, we've um this has been a a very important piece of work, but it has been um challenging in the in the current environment, as you can imagine. Um what I would say is that that's not only a a concern um of of some areas. It's also a concern of um the Jewish community at times as well is that by you know placing more of a focus on on them that can also have that uh impact. When we looked at um work around the world um and what is uh being done around anti-semitism that certainly comes up um in the in the the research through um UNESCO and OECD and others that that is something to be very um careful with. Um so Senator I think look once the so we have is my short answer and I think um once the uh the ministers have uh looked at those recommended changes and they're in the um the public domain um and that we also are then having a follow-on uh review to make sure that we are approaching um or responding to all forms of racism and hate. As I said before, um I I think that is uh certainly on our mind, Senator, to make sure that we get the the specificity, the balance. Um and you know, come back to this being about uh from young children all the way through to you know, early adults. Um, you know, one of the things, for example, Senator, that we we've taken into account is, um, you know, students are accessing some of these things a lot younger than they previously were or hearing about these things a lot younger. They're also not immune to it by being in a um, a rural or remote community. Um so I can you see you nodding there Minister that this is we we've approached this from sort of an expert uh angle but also uh from looking at the reality of what we're living in at the moment or what young children and others are are getting information from and that's why you know we have to consider that online environment um and that's a shared um I think endeavor uh I think parents are concerned in this way as well. Um but the curriculum has a part to play in that senator and um as I said I think we've certainly looked into uh making some recommendations around the broader environment that children are are living in um that has that has fundamentally changed um and so we do need that to
change with it. Can I just uh one final question um in terms of um what you've been working on in relation to the anti-semitism aspects of the curriculum. Um are you able to provide on notice a list of the stakeholders who you've consulted in relation to that part of the curriculum? Uh and have you already started the work on the on the broader anti-racism aspects of the curriculum? And if so, are you able to table um either who you have or intend to consult in relation to that aspect of the curriculum?
>> Yes, I'm certainly happy to provide the um the work we've done around anti-semitism and that work, Senator, because that's um well nearing completion, but uh the broader elements will continue because it'll feed into uh some of the next pieces of work we do as well. In terms of the other one, no, we haven't settled on the processes and the people um advisory groups and those that consultation approach um until we have that uh approval from from ministers. Uh and that'll be something that we'll um you know obviously be uh speaking to the Islamophobia Education Task Force about u making sure that we are capturing the broader community through those um those engagements as well. and also obviously um the special envoy uh who sits on that task force and who I've met um in person a couple of times just to have those initial discussions senator. So if I can give you that assurance that um we certainly won't be doing this in isolation. We'll be working with those people um one of the things Senator as you know very purposefully is engaged with expertise around anti-semitism and the Holocaust. um we will be doing the same around Islamophobia um and other forms of uh racism and you know religious um discrimination as well.
>> Are you also intending to meet with the anti-racism commissioner in relation to consulting on the anti-racism broader curriculum framework?
>> Yeah, look I think it's a I think it's certainly on our uh radar to do to do that. uh senator as you say there's been a lot of work done um in that space uh in that general sense but also that's that part of that expertise I was talking about before is that um a car's expertise is around how we translate these priorities and the things that I think as a country we we want for our children that promise to our children and our broader community um that's our level of expertise when we get into uh some of these uh expert areas um I think as you would respect senator and and certainly want to reassure you that that's when we uh approach some of the the experts in those particular areas with the depth of knowledge uh for us to draw on.
>> Senator to move to Arrow now and I just conscious that we go to our break.
>> I just had one last question a really quick one and it's just the time frame that they expect to have finalized um who they're going to consult for the second round just so I know when to come back and ask questions again.
Uh so we'll we usually would um provide the advisory group members and those things uh senator but I'm happy to um provide you with some detail about at at a certain point you know when we've got that signed off
>> time frame would be great.
>> Yeah. So the just the time frame would be end of uh sort of towards the end of next year about this time next year when the we'll be going back to ministers with any recommendation pending any change. Um but certainly would be doing the work really um starting this year if we get that approval. Uh and then the the main consultation period or seeking that expert advice would be early next
>> Great. Thank you. Thanks chair.