My children also attended private schools right
from the very beginning. The schools were among
the most prestigeous in Melbourne. Yes, the
facilities were wonderful - but the attitudes
and teaching was not. Bullying was rampant.
Teachers were more concerned with sporting trophies
and publicity for the schools than with teaching.
Our children began to develop some very worrying
attitudes and we finally took them out of that
school system.

They ended up graduating from university and today are happy
in their chosen professions.

I guess it all depends on the values and ethos of the
schools and more importantly - on the teachers that they hire.
As well as the funding that the schools receive.
In some schools teachers are expected to reach unattainable
goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times
they accomplish this impossible task.

Every teacher deserves effective tools and skills - many
teaching problems will be solved in the next few decades.
There will be new learning environments and new means of
instruction. One function will always remain with the teacher,
to create the emotional climate for learning. And that is
something that schools need to look for when hiring teachers.
They need to provide effective tools for the teachers and
look at their qualifications, experience and the skills
they possess.

cont'd ...

A recent nationwide Fairfax Ispos poll found 74% of
Australians oppose laws allowing religious schools
to discriminate against students or teachers on the
grounds of sexuality, gender identity or relationship
status.

Our government needs to start listening to the electorate
on this issue.

The following link explains further:

http://theconversation.com/why-legislation-should-ban-schools-from-discriminating-against-lgbtiq-students-and0teachers-104940

The Coalition & Labor should back a bill to ban the Greens.

DearShadow Minister,

You wrote;

“Making broad sweeping legislation that costs everyone just in case there is a one in a million case is simply stupid.”

I kind of think you might be contradicting yourself here.

No special favours for the odd wheelchair user?

The anti-discrimination legislation is already in place but loopholes allow exemptions for religious schools, very few who ever use them. Just close them and we are sweet.

Dear Steelie,

I'm so glad that you brought up the allowances that
are now in place for the disabled. Thank God for that.

When I had my fall - and was operated on my legs -
I used to have great difficulty in walking and even
sitting on regular toilet seats (they were too low
for me). I was so grateful for disabled parking and
for disabled toilets.

Legislation made quite a difference.

Dear SteeleRedux,

If the real issue was "discrimination", then religious schools could save themselves with a simple non-discriminatory solution: just have a policy of not allowing to talk about sex in school, so any teacher or pupil who mentions sex or related issues, is straight out! Since gays cannot stop talking and fussing about sex, they will be the first to be expelled (others may follow, which is not a bad idea).

I cannot tell whether or not you would personally be satisfied with this solution and leave it at that, but I estimate that most of those who scream here "discrimination, discrimination" would not be happy, because what they really want is to oppress the religious and "discrimination" just happens to be their easy whip.