Yes, and a rose by any other name would smell as sweet ......

Re the use of the term "polyglot".

I meant what I said.

My wife's second or third language was English, the other two being northern European. English wasn't spoken in her home until she brought it home from school. My immediate family and their spouses include well above half a dozen countries of origin and at least as many languages spoken in the home, ranging from Asian, European and Anglo origins.

Australia, in my experience, is polyglot in name and substance. I believe that my experience is not at all unusual - it is representative of the Australian reality, and has been since the post-WWII immigration boom, if not since at least the Gold Rush days of the late 19th Century.

Those born pre-1870 might have a different take on these things.

I assume this emphasis upon Christianity and religion in schools is blowback from a generation before and reflects new nativism in politics and society.

Issues include difficulty of having one's children sitting out religion classes, whereby they may become stereotyped or the focus of others if not supported by the school and community (saw in bush early '70s).

Attended a denominational school in Melbourne where regular once weekly religious classes ceased in late '70s, and 'General Studies' introduced to include social and science issues e.g. pollution and ozone layer, energy efficient housing and environment, transport policies, water management etc.. In tandem with this, was not only seguing to the science curriculum, but year 12 then HSC General English Expression (?) included Part D, Critical Thinking etc. regarding advertising and media....

Although I have asked parents in Victoria often about their kids' school subjects, no one seems to know if these subects still exist and/or don't understand the concept...., however according to some, no (or the same skills are assumed to be holistic or embedded by chance or trial and error).

I'd bet the fossil fuel industry, automotive, property, government, politicians and media were not 'very keen' on such enlightened education ideas.

As one friend complains, he expected that his kids' skills for 'critical thinking and analysis' would be developed at high school not for specific topics e.g. euthanasia requiring deep and specific insight, but for any novel situation.

Now it seems about trying to redevelop a compliant 'Christian conservative culture' mirroring US politics and media while creating fear about non-Christian culture; especially when the proponents feel or perceive they are on the path to 'white demographic suicide' which then justifies ethical short cuts...... aka GOP Republicans, UKIP/Tories, LNP/One Nation etc.. making authoritive statements or decisions, don't analyse or question, just follow orders, move on etc..

Such policies, tactics and strategies are also coincidentally too similar with national or conservative socialism; short memories.