Aussie school principal stands up for Christianity

M

mellow

New Member
When two young Muslim student teachers turned up for work wearing hijabs on their first day at Redlands College (a Christian school in Queensland) Principal Mark Bensley wasn't having it and transferred them out. The PC police took to social media in a frenzy "Shame on you Redlands College" they said "this could have been a good way to show Christian love and acceptance."

The two trainees in their final year at university were allocated positions to start their work placement at Redlands. Mr Bensley said he respected their right to wear the hijab but felt it was inappropriate at his school and transferred them to another school to complete their placement. Mr Bensley wrote to parents "I have a duty of care to ensure that those teaching at the college are actively supporting Christian principles, practices and beliefs of the college" he wrote. "I see the wearing of the hijab as openly acting in a manner that is contrary with these principles, practices and beliefs."

In contrast, two non-Muslim teachers from an Islamic College in South Australia were sacked because they refused to wear a hijab. The school issued a warning to all teachers that failure to do so would result in termination.

I like Mark Bensley, how about you?
 

He's within his rights of course but he is misguided.
Christianity as revealed in Christ is about inclusion, about drawing people in, not shutting them out.

I spent 25 years teaching at a catholic high school for girls. I am not catholic myself yet was appointed deputy principal in my second year. Half the teachers in leadership positions were non-Catholic at any given time. At various times we employed a Hindu, complete with sari and a red spot on her forehead and a Jewish drama teacher who prepared the Easter and Christmas drama productions and a gay man as home economics teacher. The girls themselves were predominantly catholic but other denominations/religions were not excluded. We had several Buddhist students at one time.

The principal in the OP is probably afraid of the reaction of the parents. Christianity should be more courageous than that.
Two young women wearing headscarves will not do any damage to the Christian ethos of the school.
 
If standards are set anywhere, colleges, businesses, churches, even restaurants then people know this and comply. I don't go to a BBQ with chop sticks. Common sense!
 

It is generally accepted everywhere in Australia that people may wear symbols of their faith whether it is a yamaka, a hijab, a cross or a turban. Most muslim schoolgirls in Sydney wear hijabs to public school as part of their uniform. No-one bats an eyelid about it.

These girls are students as a public high school in Sydney.
Unity in diversity is the motto.

Auburn_Girls_High_students.jpg
 
mellow said:
When two young Muslim student teachers turned up for work wearing hijabs on their first day at Redlands College (a Christian school in Queensland) Principal Mark Bensley wasn't having it and transferred them out. The PC police took to social media in a frenzy "Shame on you Redlands College" they said "this could have been a good way to show Christian love and acceptance."

The two trainees in their final year at university were allocated positions to start their work placement at Redlands. Mr Bensley said he respected their right to wear the hijab but felt it was inappropriate at his school and transferred them to another school to complete their placement. Mr Bensley wrote to parents "I have a duty of care to ensure that those teaching at the college are actively supporting Christian principles, practices and beliefs of the college" he wrote. "I see the wearing of the hijab as openly acting in a manner that is contrary with these principles, practices and beliefs."

In contrast, two non-Muslim teachers from an Islamic College in South Australia were sacked because they refused to wear a hijab. The school issued a warning to all teachers that failure to do so would result in termination.

I like Mark Bensley, how about you?
Click to expand...

What a prat that guy is!:rolleyes:
 
I taught at a catholic girls high school for 25 years and in that time we had a Hindu science teacher who wore a sari and a red spot on her forehead. The drama teacher was Jewish and directed the Christmas and Easter theatricals. Two of the male teachers were gay. They were all great teachers.

At the child care centre attached to my church - Uniting Church, which is derived from the Methodists and Presbyterians - we have two young Muslim women employed. One of whom wears a hijab, the other does not. It is their choice. I was on the interview panels that offered them employment.

Christianity is strong enough to withstand people of other faiths in our company. Indeed, if the gospel is to be shared, what better opportunity is there? As I said in an earlier post, Jesus modelled inclusiveness.

I wonder whether the principal at the Queensland school would refuse medical attention if he needed it from a nurse or doctor who happened to be wearing a hijab. Our hospitals are staffed by quite a few of them. Like the man on the Jericho road, we call the Good Samaritans.
 
What if an Orthodox Jewish teacher was on the staff of this guy's school, and wore a yarmulke every day? The yarmulke (those little caps, sort of a beanie, worn by men) has exactly the same meaning as a hijab.
Many Orthodox women wear a hat outside the home, or cover their hair otherwise. Would they be banned as well?

This is anti-Muslim prejudice nothing more.

However, I would have some problems with those complete cover-ups, including only a slit for their eyes to peer through. I forget what they're called. Anybody subscribing to such an extreme dress code would probably not have the open mind required of a teacher.
 
I've had many Muslim students at the community college where I worked. Also, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Indians, and a bunch of others.

It never made a difference to me what they wore. This was a state run school, so dress was anything "dignified".

Many of Iranians we had in the 70's were sometimes a challenge, but I learned to deal with them, and became friends with some of them.

I had many interesting conversations with a few of them about the differences in Islam and Christianity.
 
Warrigal said:
It is generally accepted everywhere in Australia that people may wear symbols of their faith whether it is a yamaka, a hijab, a cross or a turban. Most muslim schoolgirls in Sydney wear hijabs to public school as part of their uniform. No-one bats an eyelid about it.

These girls are students as a public high school in Sydney.
Unity in diversity is the motto.

View attachment 7681
Click to expand...
WOW!! I can only imagine how frightened some folks would be, on encountering these young ladies. It brought me back to the posts regarding "stand your ground" laws. There are some people among us who feel threatened by everything that doesn't fit their religious and/or political views. No wonder their all "packing" when threats such as this can confront them at any time.
 
Threats? They are all bubbly school girls. A little too noisy perhaps, but no threat to anyone.
Quite the reverse. In the shopping centres I find them polite and helpful.
 
Well, in both cases, I'd think it odd that the teachers wanted to teach at religious schools that were religions different from their own. I've heard similar about Catholic schools that will only hire Catholic teachers.
In general, though, I think if a person is in a religious facility they should observe the customs of the religion. Not any different, in my opinion, than back in the days when women and girls were expected to wear hats in a Catholic church whether they were Catholic or not, or to the best of my knowledge non-Jewish men are expected to wear a yarmulke if they're in a synagogue.
However, I don't consider it a matter of 'standing up for' Christianity or whatever religion, just basic respect for the customs.
 
I mentioned in my first post that he is within his rights.

Discrimination on the grounds of religion is against the law except in the case of religious institutions such as schools and hospitals. In the past teachers in catholic school were sometimes dismissed on the say so of the parish priest if they divorced and remarried without a catholic annulment. Some protestant schools require their staff to sign articles of faith. Most simply ask the teachers to uphold the ethos of the particular church (catholic, Mormon etc) which means keep your mouth shut in front of the students if you disagree.

Times have changed and most faith based schools are prepared to accept a percentage of staff from other religions as long as the overall culture of the school remains strong. There is an Islamic school not too far from me in Sydney where roughly half the staff are not muslim. One of them was a member of my church.

The young women mentioned in the OP were student teachers. Students need to gain some classroom experience before graduating. They are assigned a school close to home and under the guidance of one of the permanent teachers, they teach a limited number of lessons in their chosen field. They receive no payment.

The student teachers are assessed and if they fail the practicum, they have to repeat the experience at another school before they receive their qualification. Private schools do not have to participate - it is up to the principal to determine how many students, if any, that the school can accommodate. The school where I taught would agree to take six students twice a year for a month each time. That was stretching our resources in terms of finding enough teachers willing to mentor them, For this reason we only took students from a Catholic teachers colleges but even then, not all of the students were catholic.

I suspect the principal was reacting to the hijab rather than the actual Islamic faith. If that is the general thinking at the school, of the teachers and parents, it is just as well that they were sent away and given another school. It is just a pity that they will be feeling very hurt in the process. They will hardly think well of Christians after this.
 

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