Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has dropped his vow to change the national school curriculum, after comments earlier in the campaign that students should be able to think freely without being “indoctrinated” by educators.
Mr Dutton confirmed this morning “we don’t have any proposal to change the curriculum”, despite saying in his budget reply address just a month ago that “a Dutton Coalition government will restore a curriculum that teaches the core fundamentals in our classrooms”.
The Opposition Leader in March promised to rewrite the curriculum to cultivate “critical thinking, responsible citizenship and common sense”.
Earlier in the campaign, he claimed students were being “indoctrinated” by their teachers.
“You have seen other academics that are out as part of protests on the streets, and teachers similarly, and that is been translated into the classroom. That is not something I support. I support young Australians being able to think freely … and not being told and indoctrinated by something that is the agenda of others,” Mr Dutton said.
“Our position will reflect community standards in relation to what is being taught at our schools and our universities.”
Mr Dutton implied that school funding could be conditional to the Coalition’s curriculum changes being adopted, but later clarified that was not something the opposition intended to pursue.
As successive polls have reported the Coalition trailing behind Labor, Mr Dutton has shown a willingness to jettison the party’s policy commitments.
Just one week into the federal election campaign Mr Dutton dumped the party’s unpopular plan to force public servants back to the office “five days a week”, saying it had listened to voters on the matter.
Yesterday the Australian Education Union claimed the Coalition was “hiding” its plans for the national curriculum, demanding the opposition leader “come clean” on his plans for public education before voting day.
