Racism Case At School

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/playgr...6895361368.html

Playground taunts land primary school with $6000 compensation bill
Leonie Lamont
December 28, 2006

TAUNTS by a group of 10-year-olds may cost a Sydney primary school $6000 in compensation to a family who complained of racial discrimination.

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal found Excelsior Public School at Castle Hill failed to deal with taunts such as "ching chong Chinaman sitting on a dunny can" in the context of its anti-racism policy.

It found another incident - where two students said they did not like Asian food and Asian restaurants should be bombed to make way for "more McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken" outlets, and that they hated Asians - constituted discrimination against the complainant's three sons, who were of Chinese background. It found the Department of Education and Training failed to provide the children with a safe learning environment.

The damages award - for economic loss caused when the boys transferred to another school, for hurt and humiliation and an order that the school apologise - has ramifications for other schools.

A spokesman for the department said it was appealing against the decision but would not comment further on the case.

The department told the tribunal it had fully investigated the father's numerous complaints, disciplined two of the boys with detention and spoken to them about their inappropriate comments, and had adequate policies to deal with racism and bullying.
The father, an Australian citizen of Chinese descent, had questioned his three sons about school.

He made notes about comments and behaviour by other students and what he regarded as discriminatory treatment of his sons by staff. He wrote dozens of letters, including to the Minister for Education and the Ombudsman, about the school in 1998 and 1999, when his children were aged seven, nine and 10. He went to the police after an incident involving one student and scissors and his eldest son, and sought to have the student charged with attempted murder.

The complaint, initially made in 2000 to the Anti-Discrimination Board, was sent to the tribunal in 2004. The tribunal noted that the case raised complex issues, including at what age, and in what context, a child's inappropriate comments fell within the scope of a school's anti-racism policy.

One staff member told the tribunal the hearing was an "absolute farce. It has put teachers, staff through stress, stress that we didn't need. The whole issue is ludicrous, there was no discrimination." Other staff said they thought remarks made within the hearing of the eldest boy were "childish nonsense". Some conceded on reflection the talk was racist.

The tribunal said: "In public places such as schools, racist talk per se should be a concern."

It was not enough for the department to have an anti-racism policy - it had to be implemented. It said the staff, even those trained in anti-racism policy, failed to recognise, or discourage, the remarks as racist.

Kids these days.

Its so sad to see kids starting such chaos at such a young age.
I dont think they relise that verbal can be just as bad as physical abuse.

That wasn't such a big deal!
Kids are kids, the school should have to pay the price of racist behaviour coming from 10 yr olds..

I think the Asian family went too far or maybe tad bit too far!!

PaLo $oLdieR wrote:
It found another incident - where two students said they did not like Asian food and Asian restaurants should be bombed to make way for "more McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken" outlets,

bozo the clown wrote:
I think the Asian family went too far or maybe tad bit too far!!

do ya think?

Yea i do...

Kids say alot of awful things but ........
should some one pay up each time!! don't think so..
This is ridiculous

ok the skool actually paying money for this maybe ova the top.:. . But kids shouldnt be tlkn bout blowing anything up,if something isnt done while their minds r still mouldable wen they get older it will be a major problem

besides, the article is ova a yr old. Its a waste tlkn bout it now

Point one
i agree kids should taught not to speak in such manner, while they're still growing and learning right from wrong.But it shouldn't be costy!

Point two
his article, although it may be from a year ago, it can still be discussed since cases like this happen everywhere and all the time.

i agree with you. On both points lol