Protecting our Children

Parents who neglect their children or fail to ensure their attendance at school will have part of their welfare payments quarantined by Centrelink, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said today... The new policy extends mutual obligation principles and builds on welfare restrictions to be imposed on indigenous communities in the Northern Territory ... The welfare state was never intended to let people evade their personal or social responsibilities, especially when it comes to care for children.

Something needs to happen here too ... 43,000 truants in the MOE reference week, 30,000 stand downs, suspensions and exclusions in the year ... but how will parents be able to force their children to attend against their will ... and what of the teachers attempting to teach the unwilling, those who simply don't want to be there and who will avail themselves of any opportunity to abscond??

But no, it wont work here ... 'reasonable force to ensure attendance' is definitely a non starter ... and it would simply, ultimately be an additional trigger for child abuse.