Australian traditions 'falter under new childcare rules'

By MEAGHAN CLACK
THERE is growing concern in the ACT that national childcare reforms will lead to the removal of Australian “traditions” in favour of a more multicultural policy.
Under the new regulations introduced this year, a $2000 penalty can be received if children at educational facilities are subjected to activities that are “inappropriate” in regards to their family and cultural values.
The concerns follow the revelation that a Sydney school removed the word “Easter” from this year’s holiday festivities, while a Melbourne school removed the Easter Bunny from a school parade after the State and Federal Governments endorsed the new regulations in February.
Dr James Jupp from ANU’s Centre for Immigration and Cultural Studies said Canberra’s diverse population and smaller population size could contribute to the over-development of culturally inclusive policies.
“In the past there have been problems of isolation [within the ethnic population]… However, now there are numbers significantly large for people to find others of the same culture and support,” he said.
Concerned parent Bianca Baldwin warned that while the media has raised the alarm in Sydney, Canberra children were already starting to miss out on important Australian traditions because of the same politically correct changes.
“They had an Easter barbeque at my daughter’s preschool but there were no eggs, bunny or themed decorations…. so I guess [the school] is adopting a ‘do not display’ option now,” she said.
A teacher at Hughes Primary school, Ione Jentzsch, insisted that festivities had not been affected.
“I was never told to avoid Easter activities… there were still traditional activities such as painting eggs and we have an elective lunch time program run by a church as well,” she said.
But Bryan Spargo, a childcare worker with Gungahlin Regional Community Services, has seen activities around the holiday season change to a more culturally inclusive approach to provide a culturally tolerant atmosphere.
“There just aren’t as many activities for the children now when you compare it to five years ago. We used to spend the whole week before Easter helping [the children] make Easter baskets and all that. Now it is hard to tell if there is a holiday coming up,” he said.
The Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care, Kate Ellis, insisted that the draft regulations were not in place to stop any cultural activities.
“All that the draft regulations do is make sure that childcare staff, just like teachers in government schools, ensure children are not made to feel uncomfortable because they are forced to participate in cultural traditions that are not their own,” she said.
The draft regulations were endorsed by the Federal, State and Territory Governments on February 25 as part of the national quality agenda to lift the quality of childcare across Australia.