AN online group has started a petition demanding a “formal apology” from Castlemaine Secondary College and Mount Alexander Shire Council for allowing students to display an anti-Tony Abbott poster in a public place.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Not to be deterred, a counter-petition has been started in Castlemaine supporting the students’ right to “express their opinions through any kind of medium, including art”.
The dispute arose after students were allowed to display a poster stating “Australia needs an Abbott proof fence” during the Castlemaine State Festival.
The poster has remained on a wall on Mechanics Lane, near the Castlemaine Library.
A petition was shared on the “STOP the anti-Abbottism” Facebook page on Friday expressing outrage at the poster and demanding a formal apology.
The petition’s author states “it is horrifying that Castlemaine Secondary College and the local Castlemaine council have allowed and encourages our young people to display anti-Abbott artwork on the streets”.
The Facebook post publicising the petition describes the students’ action as “disgusting” and that it was an important issue to highlight as “publicly disrespecting our leader is not right”.
The petition has since gathered 189 supporters and a number of comments, including from people in the local area.
Irene Yerman, of Chewton, wrote the college should be “apolitical”.
“It clearly demonstrates a bias from staff that have allowed this political statement on school grounds,” she said.
“Politics at school should remain in the classroom where balanced arguments encourage intellectual discussion.”
Nanette Reaburn, of Kennington, said she has grandchildren at Castlemaine Secondary College and was disappointed at “teachers who politicise our young children”.
“You have a charter to teach respect, not disrespect,” she wrote.
The counter-petition supporting the students was circulated soon after, and had generated more than 500 supporters by Sunday morning.
Written by a person known only as a “CSC student”, the petition defends the students’ right to use art to express their opinions.
“The teachers at CSC should not be forced to apologise for the views students hold,” the petition reads.
“Many students at CSC hold different views and that is what makes the school such a good environment to be in because people are allowed to express themselves through writing, art and music.”
Supporters of the petition were largely from the Castlemaine region and most expressed their pride in the freedom of expression afforded to them at Castlemaine Secondary College.
Amber Davies, of Campbells Creek, wrote that allowing young people to think critically and express their ideas was “central to quality education”.
“The students at CSC are amazing, expressive, creative and diverse individuals,” she wrote.
“Supporting young people, giving them a voice and engaging in intelligent discussion with them is essential to both their personal growth but also to our national understanding of what issues should be our focus for future generations.”
Parent Louissa Rogers wrote her son was “very offended by the idea that he isn’t ‘thinking for himself’”, while Castlemaine resident Lynne Kelly wrote that any political organisation that underestimates’ young people’s ability to think for themselves was “on very shaky ground”.
The STOP the anti-Abbottism Facebook page describes itself as an unofficial support page for Prime Minister Tony Abbott and lists the Liberal Party website as its website.
The page has almost 5000 followers.
