Back to School
Not quite Billy Madison style but I am back at my old school now doing my teaching prac. UWA generally has a policy that per-service teachers don't go to their old schools to do prac, why, you may ask then, am I??
Well I was initially posted to another school in my area, a nice little private school, a Christian school (I wont mention any names coz the school doesn't sound so nice in a little while). As much as I wanted to go back to my old school, I couldn't and so I figured this was the next best thing, it was also relatively close to me and also a non-denominational Christian school. The woman organising the prac students emailed me to ask me to come into the school for a little interview, so she can introduce me to the teachers, and show me around the school, etc. I go to meet with her and she goes through the school policy with me, shows me around, tells me how the teachers all meet at 8.15am 3 days a week for morning devotions (which I said I thought was a lovely idea), shows me the science office and introduces me to a few science teachers, talks about how their staff is all so diverse and they come from all different backgrounds... As we're walking she asks me if I go to church, I answer that I'm a Baha'i, she proceeds to ask me what Baha'i is, so I do a very short spiel about how we believe that Christ was the Son of God and we believe in the Bible, in fact we believe that all the religions were sent to us by the same One God... -WRONG ANSWER! She quickly cut me off and said that I should run anything I want to say to the kids by my mentor teacher first (I'm here to teach SCIENCE, woman, not to try and enlighten your poor, brainwashed kids!). I smile and agree with everything she says. We head back to the front desk, they talk about making a name badge for me, she wishes me the best of luck and says she looks forward to seeing me on Wednesday.
The weekend passes, I'm now at uni on Monday (2 days before Wednesday, my first day of prac). I get a call from Amy in the School Experience office, she askes if I'm at uni, and can I come see her. So I go upstairs to her office, she's looking very apologetic and starts to tell me how the prac placement at **** Christian College has fallen through, it's not a personal attack on me or my Faith, but its because I'm not a Christian...
I was slightly baffled, I thought the government had policies to guard against religious discrimination like this. I guess this is a private school though and they can do what they want. She goes on to say that she will call and see if
I hear back the next day that they accepted me, that's a relief.
Aside from being shocked and a little offended by all the discrimination and changes in plans, I'm over the moon about being posted at Helena- That's what I wanted in the first place!
God works in mysterious ways...
Well I was initially posted to another school in my area, a nice little private school, a Christian school (I wont mention any names coz the school doesn't sound so nice in a little while). As much as I wanted to go back to my old school, I couldn't and so I figured this was the next best thing, it was also relatively close to me and also a non-denominational Christian school. The woman organising the prac students emailed me to ask me to come into the school for a little interview, so she can introduce me to the teachers, and show me around the school, etc. I go to meet with her and she goes through the school policy with me, shows me around, tells me how the teachers all meet at 8.15am 3 days a week for morning devotions (which I said I thought was a lovely idea), shows me the science office and introduces me to a few science teachers, talks about how their staff is all so diverse and they come from all different backgrounds... As we're walking she asks me if I go to church, I answer that I'm a Baha'i, she proceeds to ask me what Baha'i is, so I do a very short spiel about how we believe that Christ was the Son of God and we believe in the Bible, in fact we believe that all the religions were sent to us by the same One God... -WRONG ANSWER! She quickly cut me off and said that I should run anything I want to say to the kids by my mentor teacher first (I'm here to teach SCIENCE, woman, not to try and enlighten your poor, brainwashed kids!). I smile and agree with everything she says. We head back to the front desk, they talk about making a name badge for me, she wishes me the best of luck and says she looks forward to seeing me on Wednesday.
The weekend passes, I'm now at uni on Monday (2 days before Wednesday, my first day of prac). I get a call from Amy in the School Experience office, she askes if I'm at uni, and can I come see her. So I go upstairs to her office, she's looking very apologetic and starts to tell me how the prac placement at **** Christian College has fallen through, it's not a personal attack on me or my Faith, but its because I'm not a Christian...
I was slightly baffled, I thought the government had policies to guard against religious discrimination like this. I guess this is a private school though and they can do what they want. She goes on to say that she will call and see if
I hear back the next day that they accepted me, that's a relief.
Aside from being shocked and a little offended by all the discrimination and changes in plans, I'm over the moon about being posted at Helena- That's what I wanted in the first place!
God works in mysterious ways...
posted by caz | 1:48 pm
8 Comments:
i went to talk to Amy today about something and she was super nice, totally helped me out - lovely girl. now why can't sarah be more like that?
meanwhile...you should send that school a copy of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Pope Pius IX - "consider how numerous, in these days, are the monks who, in My Name, have secluded themselves in their churches, and who, when the appointed time was fulfilled, and We unveiled Our beauty, knew Us not, though they call upon Me at eventide and at dawn. We behold them clinging to My name, yet veiled from My Self. This, verily, is a strange thing." and this "O people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day, tarrying at the gate." - i LOVE it :)
ps the deleted comment was mine - i had to delete it because i made a bad spelling mistake...otherwise its the same as this comment.
WOW! Now that is a great story to tell your children!
You think that sweet perth never discrimates someone from their religion welll NO none of that!!
And there is this girl in my french class who went to ****Christan College and she said that she couldn't study English Literature in yr 11 or 12 because only 5 people "got into it" because apparently at their school u have to get above 75% to get into LIT... OK CALM DOWN! and they had a calc class with 5 people, anyway, i was mumbling to myself about what a strange school and then i realise that its the same as your school!! WOW , i'm going to ask my friend about it, find out if she is Christian.. hrm!
Yeah, not all the students are Christian, and the "diverse" staff that she talked about was from diverse CHRISTIAN backgrounds, as opposed to a Catholic school...
meanwhile you and shaz are getting great links, i need to find more connections, hrm...
Caz, that situation is totally ridiculous. NAME THEM, I say! Sure, it's going to turn the spotlight on the school, but big deal. Honestly, if they're so afraid of people judging them, then they should have just let you teach.
My theory; If you go out of your way to do something stupid, then face the facts that people are going to find out about it.
Well, I haven't named the school... but I did change a little something about the *s...
oh wow .. this is huge! following shazzarey's example, I will dedicate my blog entry to your story. I believe the world deserves to know.
glad you got a prac after all.
M.
I wonder, if there is a law that allows private religious organizations to filter out who they think would not fit in. If not, it should be brought to the attention of the public. Perhaps you may want to write to a newspaper and pose a question. You may need to cosult with the LSA or NSA about how you would word it, but to outline what Baha'is believe - harmony between science and religion , importance of education in science and the arts, and that as a Baha'i we are taught to love all and and prefer all religionists before ourselves:
"..love all from the depths of your hearts, prefer all religionists before yourselves..."
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 453)
I think the fact that you thought and said that the morning devotions are a "lovely idea" demenstrates that you have nothing against the school and its practices.
You may not need to mention the school name, but a copy of such a article or letter could be sent to the school as well.
Anyhow, I think it is worth a public debate.
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