An Aboriginal mother has pulled her children out of a school after her daughter was ordered to stand for the national anthem and was allegedly threatened with punishment if she refused.
The anonymous mother said the alphabeth Her 11-year-old daughter was asked to participate in the Advance Australia Fair during a music class in February at Seaview Christian College, a private school located in the coastal town of Port Augusta in South Australia.
It accused the school of forcing “assimilation” by making children stand for the anthem, while Seaview Christian College said the demand was made “to respect the formality of the event.”
An Aboriginal mother has pulled her children out of a school that required them to stand during the national anthem.
“You either assimilate or leave their school,” the mother said furiously.
“There’s no room for discussion, there’s no room for negotiation, you either do that or you just walk away.”
He said the anthem was written at a time when indigenous people “had no rights.”
The ABC has seen a letter the two girls wrote, but did not send to the school, about the incident.
“Aboriginals find ‘National Anthem’ offensive”. Since it does not represent us in any way,” the girls wrote.
“And when they force us to sing or stand, they are taking away our rights as Aboriginal people on our land.”
Seaview Christian College told ABC it respected “the individual opinions of all students and families regarding the anthem.”
However, it said parents had to “uphold the principles and values of our school and adhere to standards of conduct… for the collective benefit of all students.”
Seaview Christian College requires parents to sign an enrollment contract prior to admitting their children, where families agree to fully support the college and respectfully honor the college’s leadership and decisions.
The school also said that a “written offer to meet and further discuss the issues was rejected by the family,” although other emails suggested the meeting would only take place when the mother “understood the university’s position.” .
It is alleged that the 11-year-old girl’s name, along with the name of another 12-year-old Aboriginal student who also refused to stand, was written on the blackboard and both were given lunchtime detention for fulfill it the next day.
The mother did not allow her daughter to go to school the next day, but the ABC said it is understood the other girl has served detention.
There are no official policies on singing the national anthem in South Australian schools (pictured are the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags).
Seaview Christian College denied to the ABC that any disciplinary action had been taken.
The mother said the children’s grandmother was a member of the Stolen Generations and was beaten for not participating in the anthem while at school.
In her case, when the national anthem plays, the mother said she was “not disrespectful,” but sits quietly and lets the song play, which is the same attitude she has taught her children with more than one attending Seaview Christian College.
She told the school that forcing her to stand for the anthem was equivalent to singing it.
Although it is official Commonwealth protocol for people to stand when the national anthem is played, there is no formal policy on this in South Australian schools.
South Africa’s commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people, April Lawrie, said the situation described was “definitely not cultural safety”.
“I think the school’s response doesn’t seem to fit the issue, it’s not proportional,” Commissioner Lawrie said.
He said Aboriginal people should not be belittled or shamed for standing up for their “cultural identity”.
The mother lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, the Association of Independent Schools and the South Australian Education Standards Board.
Seaview Christian College has been contacted for comment.