Pell plan needs careful government scrutiny

Dr Kaye said: “The Archbishop’s draft pastoral plan will put many principals and their deputies in a difficult position.

“By demanding doctrinal loyalty to the Church and its teachings the plan compromises the independence of principals and their responsibilities as educators.

“Archbishop Pell is a self-confessed climate sceptic, dismissing and misinterpreting the scientific evidence on the impact of increased greenhouse gas on global warming.

“He has put on record attitudes to homosexuality that run counter to the accepted community standards of tolerance and non-discrimination. He has suggested, for example,  that homosexuals recruit other homosexuals and he reportedly denied that there was any link between youth suicide and the active condemnation of homosexuals.

“Many principals would find these attitudes deeply troubling and that they run counter to their view of what constitutes a healthy educational environment.

“The NSW government gives the Catholic Education Office more than $348 million each year. Public funding accounts for 80% of the total expenditure of Catholic systemic schools.

“The NSW state government has an obligation to ensure that this money is spent on education that  is sound and in an environment that respects the children.

“The demand for doctrinal loyalty from some parents may undermine these outcomes if  Archbishop Pell seeks to impose his will on Catholic schools in NSW.

“It is time that the NSW government used its funding to ensure that children in Catholic schools and their teachers and principals are protected from Archbishop Pell’s plans,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information:       John Kaye 0407 195 455