Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to work with families to fight against the radical gender theory being taught in the classrooms that is contrary to the values of millions of Australians.
“Teaching a sanitised and selective version of history and the arts—and radical gender theory—is not in our children’s best interests,” he said.
“What is needed is a focus on making the basics a priority—reading, writing, and maths.”
Despite record levels of funding going into both public and private schools, Australia’s education standards are falling both on a relative and absolute level.
Dutton said Australian schools should help the next generations foster love and pride for the country, without sugarcoating the past.
“As a nation, we celebrate our wonderful Indigenous history,” he said. “But we need to be equally proud of our British heritage and our migrant story.”
He added that teachers also need to lead instruction in the classroom to help students “learn respect, discipline, and ‘how to think’ not ‘what to think.’”
However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the speech was the “worst budget reply” that he has seen during his time in politics.
Meanwhile, Bella d’Abrera, the director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs, welcomed Dutton’s “culture war call.”
“Up until now the views and concerns of Australian parents about what their children are taught have been ignored.”
D’Abrera criticised the previous Liberal governments for “surrendering” in Australia’s culture wars and allowing a “radical” national curriculum that taught young Australians to be ashamed of Australian and Western culture.
“It now looks as if Peter Dutton and the Liberals are waking up to what they allowed to happen,” she said.
“It is significant that the leader of the opposition specifically identified that Australians should be proud ‘of our British heritage and our migrant story.’”
