By Casey Neill
Reports that Dandenong North students would be banned from a free dress day over their parents’ political views are untrue, says Catholic Education Melbourne.
It was claimed that parents were asked to sign a school letter opposing the Turnbull government’s school funding changes as recommended under the Gonski review.
A spokesman said St Elizabeth’s School parents were asked to return a letter on school funding “signed or unsigned – to show that it had been sighted”.
“There was no onus at any time on parents to sign the letter, as was made clear in a written electronic communication to parents from the school,” he said.
“Reports signing of the letter was linked to participation in a school casual day come from misunderstandings over instructions given to staff.”
The spokesman said that Catholic Education Melbourne, along with other Catholic education bodies across Australia, believed the Federal Government’s Quality Schools package would limit parent choice and lead to fee increases, particularly at a parish school level.
“School funding is a complex policy area,” he said.
“We are seeking to educate the 140,000 families with children in Catholic education state-wide about the potential impacts of the government’s proposals if they are passed into law while informing them and their school communities how they can make their concerns about the measures heard.”
It was reported that parents were asked to sign the letters and return them to the school to be sent to Bruce MP Julian Hill in batches.
A spokesman for Mr Hill said he had no involvement with the letters and hadn’t received any.
He said the school had extended an invitation, some time ago, for Mr Hill to visit which he would be doing over the coming weeks.
