Deradicalising In schools, what next

Here we go again, schools are expected to make time in their curriculum once again because parents don't make time in their busy lives to bring up their children. I read in the papers today the suggestion that schools should free up an hour in their curriculum (perhaps foregoing part of Australian history) to make room for middle eastern politics as a way to prevent radicalisation of our youth. Here's a thought, firstly learning about the values that shaped Australia could help youth understand how lucky they are to live here, secondly perhaps parents could actually have conversations with their children about values and morality, rather than leaving it to schools to raise their children.

So many times schools are asked to make time in already busy days for tasks parents say they are too busy to do for the children they decided to have, schools are asked to take children for swimming lessons, something my parents did after school. Think about it, schools have to find $400 plus from their budgets for a bus or give up an hour to walk children to and from the pool, not to mention time paying their teachers to supervise and wait while children wash and change.

As we eat into the schoolday with extra curricular activities schools are increasingly asked to provide, and additional social lessons parents have handed over to schools to teach, we then question why our children are worse at maths and English, why there is less science taught, ... When are schools meant to teach these subjects, between anti bullying lessons and meditation classes?