Anti-racism officers for public schools
March 24, 2006
The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/co ... 02,00.html
ALL NSW public schools will have to appoint an anti-racism officer under a State Government plan the Teachers Federation says already exists.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma will today announce a plan for the state's 2240 public schools to have a designated staff member trained to handle racism issues.
Anti-racism officers are supposed to have been present in NSW schools since 2003, The Department of Education's website shows.
The idea was first announced in 1993 by the Coalition Government.
But Mr Iemma's office said the plan was never implemented properly, Fairfax said.
"Up until now it has not been as specific as every single school will have one," Mr Iemma's spokesman said.
Teachers Federation president Maree O'Halloran said there was already a strong anti-racism policy in the department.
"It may well be right that it wasn't fully implemented ... but the anti-racism policy is not new," she said.
Under the new scheme, all state public schools will have a designated staff member trained to handle racism issues, with the teacher being nominated by the principal.