I think ed would have liked this.



School under fire for Eisteddfod entry

Wednesday Aug 15 17:11 AEST


Organisers and the NSW education authority have defended a Sydney school's anti-war themed entry in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge, saying the event is about freedom of expression.

The federal government has accused northern Sydney's Davidson High School of hijacking the annual event to protest against a visit by US President George W Bush for next month's Sydney APEC summit.

Mr Bush will be in Sydney when the event is staged on September 6.

Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop questioned whether the students were performing material of their own choice.

One pupil involved in the production said the concept for the performance came from one of the school's teachers and did not represent the views of all the students involved.

"There appears to be a teacher's political agenda here," Ms Bishop told ABC Radio.

"And I think that's a shame, because I'm concerned that the message of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge will get lost if the event is hijacked in this way."

But the NSW Department of Education said while the idea may have come from a teacher, parents and students had been advised of the content of the performance and had been free to withdraw.

"The department supports the school and the way they have gone about their Rock Eisteddfod production," a department spokesman said.

"No student could participate without signed parental approval."

The spokesman said the production looked at the causes of the Iraq war and also concentrated on the loss of civilian and military lives.

"This is not about politics, it's about the ability of students to express their views in the atmosphere of a stage production," he said.

Rock Eisteddfod Challenge executive producer Peter Sjoquist said organisers had no say in the themes schools chose for the event.

"Our view is that we provide a professional venue and crew to these schools to enable them to perform on stage," he said.

"The choice of theme is up to the school, parents and students.

"We don't get involved in censorship."

Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner said the NSW government needed to make it clear that politicising the classroom was unacceptable, whether it was against Mr Bush, Prime Minister John Howard or Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

"The Department of Education should ensure the positives of the Rock Eisteddfod are not overshadowed by divisive politics," Mr Stoner said.

"Students in our public schools must be allowed the chance to develop their own viewpoints as they grow up."

NSW Premier Morris Iemma said students should be allowed to express themselves.

"I've seen George Bush many times on television and I've heard him say that he believes in people's free speech," he said.

"I don't think George Bush would want any intervention by a state or commonwealth minister that would curtail the right of those students to make their point."

Excellent... I have always been a massive fan of politics through dance...

The Eisteddfod has always been about politics. Every year at least one school will tackle the stolen generation or some other political landmark in history. If these are the view of the kids involved, which is very possible considering the increase in unpopularity that the Bush administration is receiving from Oz, I hope they rock out with their cocks out.