Parents say they were left “completely mortified” after a school in Australia told male students to stand up in assembly and apologise to their female peers for “behaviours of their gender”.
Brauer College in Warrnambool, Victoria, held the whole school assembly last week, when they say “boys were asked to stand as a symbolic gesture of apology for the behaviours of their gender that have hurt or offended girls and women”.
While the school says the move was “well-intended”, parents and male students have been left furious, with many speaking out about the event.
Levi, 12, told A Current Affair he felt “a bit under pressure to stand up and if I didn’t then I felt like a bad person”.
Meanwhile, male student Vini, 15, claims many of the girls “probably didn’t even want us to say sorry to them”.Brauer College responds
In a statement, Brauer College said: “Schools play an important role in the promotion of safety and respect of all students, and discussions in schools around respect towards girls and women are a key part of this vital work.
“This week, at a whole school assembly, Brauer College discussed the topic of respect for woman and the importance of bystander behaviour and speaking up to report incidents of inappropriate behaviour.
“The assembly included the screening of a video message by Brisbane Boys' College Captain Mason Black about being proactive in stopping incidents of sexual assault and harassment.
“As part of this discussion boys were asked to stand as a symbolic gesture of apology for the behaviours of their gender that have hurt or offended girls and women.
“In retrospect, while well-intended, we recognise that this part of the assembly was inappropriate.”
Vini says he heard girls behind him “crying because they just got basically exposed to the whole entire school”.
His mother told the Australian TV show that she felt the school had “handled this in a very bad way”.
"He has got to say sorry to a girl who he has never done anything to....All it’s doing is saying they're perpetrators in the future, they are going to be predators, they are going to be rapists,” she said.
Nicole Daniels, also a parent at the school, said she was left “completely mortified, completely and utterly mortified and shocked”.
“What they have made the boys do, they have labelled them and categorised them all into the same category as a perpetrator and a rapist when these boys have done absolutely nothing wrong,” Ms Daniels told the Australian Today show.
I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
as people of my gender were involved...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Perhaps it was well intended, but I really don't know to what end. Jumping or being pushed onto a bandwagon accomplishes very little if anything; if you want to discuss attitudes and actions in small groups and explore ways to remedy them, it does make sense, but encouraging people to stand up in a big group accomplishes little--like Billy Graham standing in front of thousands and saying "Stand up and come down to dedicate yourself to Jesus" (and depending who is speaking you can can substitute other people or movements or even symbols for Jesus). Silly at best, and potentially hurtful and counterproductive.
I wish some guys in the audience took a clue from the NFL and took a knee, but then this is Australia.
I wish some guys in the audience took a clue from the NFL and took a knee, but then this is Australia.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I was watching “The lost pirate kingdom” on Netflix yesterday it a rather good telling of that particular era. One thing that impressed me is despite being a (apparently) British production it was rightly critical of the things the British had done. There is definitely perspective at least and some healing at best by showing what happened without an attempt to polish out the unfortunate truths.
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I didn't see that CP, but I agree showing history, warts and all, has many benefits. Indeed, apologies and coming to grips with the past makes a lot of sense and can have significant benefits as well.
But big bandwagon events? Pretty worthless IMHO.
But big bandwagon events? Pretty worthless IMHO.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Bandwagons force action rather than rely on individual understanding. Voluntary informational demonstrations would work far better than forced jingoistic interaction.
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Not only is the whole bandwagon thing, at best, poor teaching, at worse, insulting, but telling young boys they are somehow guilty by proxy of rape etc. is no way to make them better people, it's potentially damaging.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
How young were they; what is a "college" in the UK? I had guessed at least equivalent to the US high school ages (14 - 18 or so).
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
12 Year olds, in Australia.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
After the boys apologized, girls should have been told to stand up and apologize for their gender being emotional and asking the male gender questions about whether their clothes make their asses look big.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
and for their parking...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
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Bicycle Bill
- Posts: 9030
- Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:10 pm
- Location: Surrounded by Trumptards in Rockland, WI – a small rural village in La Crosse County
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Yes, I suppose I could agree with you ... but then we'd both be wrong, wouldn't we?
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I can out-park any one of you simpering men. It is my superpower.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
If thereIN lies the problem I am not parked-out as I out-park you. You little squint.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Have you ever backed a 40 foot tractor-trailer up to a loading dock, you racist?... 
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Only that one time the Russian truck driver got stuck with his semi in the unfinished roundabout. He was crying so I told him to scoot over and I got him out of that situation and drove him on down to Lowes and backed it in for the unload. The entire store came out and cheered. They let me have my choice of appliances from their scratch and dent area.
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
Oh....okay.
I've never actually driven a 40 foot tractor-trailer but if I ever did, I'm sure I would have parked it better than you.
Does your dented Waring Blender still work?
I've never actually driven a 40 foot tractor-trailer but if I ever did, I'm sure I would have parked it better than you.
Does your dented Waring Blender still work?
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I have done it with forty-five feet of I beam-steal on a dolly and got pretty good at it. But that was over fifty years ago. I don’t know if I could back up a boat trailer now; you know, skills do deteriorate over time.
I expected to be placed in an air force combat position such as security police, forward air control, pararescue or E.O.D. I would have liked dog handler. I had heard about the dog Nemo and was highly impressed. “SFB” is sad I didn’t end up in E.O.D.
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Burning Petard
- Posts: 4090
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:35 pm
- Location: Near Bear, Delaware
Re: I apologise for the bombing of Hiroshima
I know how I drive. I know how I park. Thus I try to always have somebody riding shotgun, and always park so I can drive straight out.
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