One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has encouraged parents to “confront the principal and drag your kids out of school” over fears children are being “brainwashed” by “left-leaning teachers”.
The comments follow previous remarks by the senator that educators are indoctrinating pupils with Marxism, grooming them into believing they can “be a boy one day and a girl the next” and recruiting them as social justice warriors.
But teachers have rubbished Senator Hanson’s claims, saying they are “divisive” and incite violence.
Senator Hanson made the remarks at a community firearms event in Dubbo on August 15.
Teacher union members from the Victorian Trades Hall Council were among the first to hit back, saying they were simply “there to educate kids.”
The Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said the comments were unfounded and showed a “fundamental misunderstanding of how the Australian curriculum is delivered”.
“For any politician to urge parents to go into schools and confront teachers and principals undermines the important partnership between parents and their children’s school,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“It could place teachers in a dangerous situation where conflict and aggression may be exhibited by parents.”
One Sydney teacher joked Senator Hanson “would not be receiving a C (satisfactory) for bipartisanship” and offered mock school report-style feedback: “Enthusiastic, but needs to consider the impact of her actions on others.”
A Brisbane teacher rejected the “left-wing” accusation, arguing that keeping students safe means keeping them tolerant of others: “that’s not politics, it’s the law.”
A regional Victorian teacher noted that amid teacher shortages “these comments help no one,” while a regional NSW teacher said if teachers could brainwash students, education would not be in such a sorry state.
“Pauline would be better off staying in her lane – or better yet, actually spending some time in a school.”
Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser insisted schools are “for learning, not confrontations”. While there’s room to disagree on curriculum, he said, bringing politics into the classroom is never acceptable.
“What One Nation has called for is the wrong way to go about it.”
Senator Hanson’s comments come as rates of verbal aggression against teachers escalate.
The situation has become so bad that researchers from La Trobe University have developed a robot that mimics the behaviour of a disgruntled parent, allowing student teachers to practise de-escalating conflict.
Fletch the robot has been programmed to even act as a “Karen” parent threatening to escalate a situation to the principal. Its interactions are based on real life scenarios, including parents fuming about their child’s marks, not being with the right friends on school camp or not getting picked for a drama production.
“These conversations can become difficult because they involve emotion, identity and protectiveness on both sides,” lead researcher Therese Keane said. “Parents are advocating for their child, while teachers are drawing on their professional knowledge and experience – and those perspectives don’t always align.”
Do you agree with Senator Hanson’s claims? Comment below or email us at education@news.com.au