http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064168755.html
Sydney Morning Herald - February 28 2003
Truants or not, many school students to rally against invasion
By Gerard Noonan and Linda Doherty
Students in NSW schools are being encouraged to express their feelings
about war but those taking part in an anti-war demonstration next
Wednesday without parental permission will be regarded as truants,
school authorities say.
The Department of Education is telling principals that students will not
be given permission to attend an anti-war lunchtime rally organised by
students from the University of Technology, Sydney. Catholic students
face the same curbs.
"Students who decide to attend a rally do so as individuals, guided by
their own conscience; they will also need parental permission," said the
head of Sydney's Catholic Education Office, Brother Kelvin Canavan.
Principals interviewed by the Herald reported growing levels of stress
among students, with anti-war petitions, passionate speeches at school
assemblies and discussions in classes.
At St Ignatius College, Riverview, the three school captains have
written a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, calling for a
withdrawal of Australian troops from the Persian Gulf and for a
non-military solution. Tom van Beek, Sean Williams and Justin Fleming
told Mr Howard a poll of 574 students at the Catholic high school showed
75 per cent were against Australian military participation in Iraq,
regardless of the United Nations' position.
The Riverside Girls High School captain, Nadya Marokakis, and its
vice-captain, Elizabeth Garlan, led 25 fellow students in their school
uniforms to the peace rally in Hyde Park on February 16.
The 17-year-olds have addressed their school assembly and made banners
arguing for peace.
This is the first war these students have faced but many have studied
the Vietnam and Gulf wars and feel "frustrated, more than anything
else", Miss Garlan said. "Learning about the experience of war and the
mistakes made, to see history repeating itself is frustrating for us.
We're the next generation and they're messing with our future."
Riverside's principal, Judy King, wondered whether educational
authorities realised quite how deeply feelings were running and how
aware most students were.
The principal of St Raphael's primary in South Hurstville, Felicity
Giles, said the pupils there had a heightened awareness and sense of unease.
"At midday each day we down tools right across the school and say a
prayer for peace - it might be a Muslim prayer or a Bahai or Hindu or
Jewish prayer, not only a prayer from the Christian Catholic tradition.
"They need to feel that it's the world that seeks peace."
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