Home
About MAKO
Services
Contact
Prevention
MAKO/Files
Community Notification
Report
Referral
Profile's
Facts/ Stats
Online Dangers
Child Safety
MAKO Petitions
Research/ Resources
Books
DNA Info
Safety For Women
News/ Articles
Your Comments
Australian Politicians/ Contacts
Join
Sponsors
Donations
Links
|
CONTROVERSIAL artists and political figures could be banned from schools under new rules introduced after the Bill Henson affair. Henson, a photographer known for his images of naked children, caused a storm after it was revealed he had been allowed to scout for child models at St Kilda Park Primary School. A probe last year cleared the principal of any wrongdoing, but the Brumby Government promised to review its school visitor guidelines. New rules, seen by the Herald Sun, mean all visitors at least will have to register their arrival and departure during school hours. Parents walking their children to class before school starts or picking them up after school will not be affected. The Education Department guidelines urge schools to consider the potential for a visitor to cause controversy within the school and broader community. "Where initiatives involve external presenters speaking on controversial matters, invitations should generally come from the school . . . and not from groups wishing to use the school as a forum to advance their causes," the guidelines say. Principals or delegated staff members should conduct due diligence on potential visitors before making a decision. Schools are also warned that it's not their main role to help recruit students for cultural, sporting, recreational or business activities. Schools must decide if they want to give access to talent scouts representing children's choirs, drama groups, sporting associations, film companies seeking actors and modelling agencies. Camberwell High principal Elida Brereton, whose school was used in the new Nicolas Cage movie Knowing, said the new rules seemed reasonable. "We haven't had issues about inappropriate people coming in," she said. "If there's a Christian group that wants to come in to talk to the kids at lunchtime, then we will run it through school council." Ms Brereton said the biggest problem was ex-students coming to the school and trying to meet friends during school hours. Principal of Brighton Beach Primary, Lee Murnane, said his school already required visitors to sign in and wear name badges. Mr Murnane said the new guidelines were stricter and would be considered by his education committee. Parents Victoria and the Victorian Principals Association welcomed the new policy. All schools are expected to review their policies and procedures to ensure they reflected the guidelines. Herald Sun (19-3-2009) John Masanauskas |
|
THE Education Department must launch an investigation into why artist Bill Henson was allowed to wander freely around a Melbourne primary school while scouting for children to photograph naked. Henson, who gained notoriety last May for his photos of a naked 12-year-old girl, was reportedly invited by the school principal to pick potential child models from the playground. The principal then phoned parents of two children chosen to ask their permission, according to a new book on the photographer. What was this as-yet-unnamed school principal thinking? Henson should never have been allowed in the playground in the first place. The incident has, naturally, outraged and alarmed parents, principals and politicians. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said parents would be "revolted and horrified" by the report. Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said he "shared the outrage expressed by many people". The photographer is unrepentant. In an interview he said: "I went in there (the school) -- just wandered around while everyone was having their lunch. I saw this boy, and I saw a girl too actually, and I thought they would be great and the principal said, 'Fine, I will give the parents a ring and let you know'." Henson admitted it was not the first time he had been invited to schools to search for models. Our primary schools should not be used as talent agencies for artists. There is overwhelming evidence of the harmful effects of commercialisation and premature sexualisation of children, particularly young girls. The principal should have known better than to encourage Henson. His or her betrayal of parental trust is unforgivable and the Education Department must now take firm action. Sunday Herald Sun (5-10-2008) theeditor@sundayheraldsun.com.au |
Rudd Slams Nude Child Photo (Magazine defends Henson)
|
PREMIER John Brumby has demanded an investigation into how controversial artist Bill Henson was allowed to visit a Victorian primary school to find young models. Mr Brumby has ordered an urgent inquiry into how Henson was allowed to tour the Melbourne school to look for boys and girls for his artwork, which often features children in various states of undress and nudity. The Department of Education and Early Childhood refused to name the school, but sources last night named St Kilda Park Primary School. Mr Brumby joined in a chorus of concern about the claims. "Such activity in a state school is completely inappropriate," he said. "Like all parents, I have a deep concern about this sort of behaviour and I've asked the Education Minister for a full report from the department and the school on this matter." The revelation that Henson wandered the playground at lunchtime, accompanied by the school's principal, is made in a book, The Henson Case, by journalist David Marr. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "If the report is accurate, I am disgusted by it. I think parents would be revolted and horrified if this were true." Government sources said rumours the school was St Kilda Park Primary in Fitzroy St were on the mark. An Education Department spokeswoman said the principal was no longer at the school, but would not say whether she had been sacked. "We can say that an investigation is under way and the principal has received counselling," she said. "She is not at the school any more, but she has been counselled." New St Kilda Park Primary principal Jenny McCrabb said the scandal was news to her. "I start Monday and know nothing about it," she said. School council president David Myer refused to believe Henson could be allowed around the school grounds. "The more I think about it the more ridiculous the idea is," he said. Sue Cato, Henson's publicist, said: "He did not wander around the school, he was supervised the whole time and followed strict protocols." In May, police closed a Henson exhibition in Sydney, seizing 32 photographs including one of a naked girl, 12. Sunday Herald Sun (5-10-2008) Peter Rolfe and Sue Hewitt |
|
FEDERAL education minister Julia Gillard says allowing a photographer to scout out a primary school playground for nude models would send a shudder down people's spines. Photographer Bill Henson, whose portraits of naked teenagers sparked outrage earlier this year, says he checked out a Melbourne primary school, accompanied by the principal, to find models for his work. Ms Gillard said today she was shocked by the revelation when it came out yesterday. "To find out now that someone has been allowed to go into a school to look at children I think would send a shudder through people's spines," Ms Gillard told the Nine Network. She said no one should be on school grounds unless they were there for a legitimate purpose relating to the education of young people. The Victorian Government has announced an investigation into the incident. Ms Gillard said child protection was primarily a matter for the states and did not indicate the Federal Government would be taking action over the incident, although she said governments were working on a national child protection framework. She criticised Henson's nude photographs, which were removed from an art gallery earlier this year but later returned. "I found the images disturbing, I was very concerned about them," she said. Ms Gillard sought to attack federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull over comments he made earlier in the year in relation to the Henson issue, in defence of artistic freedom. "I also note the leader of the Opposition seems to have changed his mind from earlier this year on this matter, earlier this year he was more in the artistic freedom camp, saying he himself owned Henson works," she said. "But I'm glad to see that he has joined with the Government on this occasion to say that it is a disturbing incident." AAP (5-10-2008) |
|
|
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has weighed into a new row over controversial artist Bill Henson after it was reported Henson searched a primary school playground for subjects. Mr Rudd said if the report about acclaimed photographer Bill Henson were true he was "disgusted", while other politicians and a teachers' group have expressed concern. "If the report is accurate, I am disgusted by it," he said. "I think parents would be revolted and horrified if this were true." An exhibition by the internationally-known artist was shut down by police ahead of its opening in May after accusations that some of his photographs, particularly one of a naked adolescent girl, were pornographic. But prosecutors later said there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction and returned 20 works which had been seized. The scandal has erupted again after journalist David Marr reported in a new book that Henson had been allowed to wander around a primary school playground at lunchtime, accompanied by the principal, in search of subjects. Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says he shares the outrage that has been expressed. "The matters that have been described in the media are totally inappropriate and unacceptable and I share the outrage that has been expressed by many people at these events," he said. Wrong impressionMarr told Sky News the impression that Henson "roamed the playground unsupervised" was wrong and that "the only contact with the photographer was if the parents of the children wished to talk to him". The president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, Leonie Trimper, said it made no difference that the school principal had accompanied Henson. "It doesn't matter which way you look at it, I think it's still inappropriate," she said. "Primary schools are not there to be a ready commercial market for individuals." Earlier the head of the Victorian Principals Association has described a decision to let controversial artist Bill Henson look for models at a primary school as a mistake. Principals Association president Fred Ackerman says it is an unfortunate incident and one that would not have happened had the principal and photographer known what the outcome would be. "I think that what's happened here is something that seemingly is relatively low level and most definitely innocent," he said. "It has occurred without the thought of how it might be perceived or interpreted by other people at a later date." The dramatic closure of Henson's exhibition shortly before it was to open in May triggered fierce debate, with Mr Rudd declaring the works "absolutely revolting". But artists such as Hollywood star Cate Blanchett backed Henson, saying stifling art would damage Australia's international reputation. The police decision not to press charges came as the Australian censor found that the image of the naked girl was mild and "not sexualised to any degree". ABC/AFP (4-10-2008) |
The head of the Victorian Principals Association has described a decision to let controversial artist Bill Henson look for models at a primary school as a mistake. In a book by journalist David Marr, Henson said a Melbourne Primary School principal agreed to let him enter the playground at lunch-time to search for suitable child models. Mr Henson's exhibition in March was shut down by police after complaints were received about images of a naked 12-year-old girl. Principals Association president Fred Ackerman says it is an unfortunate incident and one that would not have happened had the principal and photographer known what the outcome would be. "I think that what's happened here is something that seemingly is relatively low level and most definitely innocent," he said. "It has occurred without the thought of how it might be perceived or interpreted by other people at a later date." A spokeswoman for Henson says he has no comment to make about the matter. ABC (4-10-2008) |
