Young Libs attempt to force academia to be stupid, too
Thursday October 09th 2008, 7:19 am

Young Liberals: racist, sexist, homophobic and proud of it (don’t miss this ABC video). Now they’re taking their weird act out of the student conferences and into the Senate…

Ignore Senate’s ‘witch-hunt’, academics told

The New South Wales Greens say an inquiry into ideological, cultural or political prejudice in schools and universities is a witch-hunt.

Several academics will appear before a Senate inquiry into Australian academic freedom in Sydney today.

NSW Greens MP Dr John Kaye says the inquiry was set up by Coalition Senators at the request of the Young Liberal movement.

“It’s looking for Australian academics and teachers who are, in the words of the Young Liberals, trying to impose their ideological, political or cultural prejudices on students,” he said.

“This is outrageous, Australian universities deserve much better than this. They’re being used as a punching bag by Liberal Senators.”

Dr Kaye says the Senators on the committee should ignore the inquiry’s terms of reference.

“Unless [the terms of reference] are ignored they could end up stifling academic independence, academic freedom and freedom of expression in schools and universities around Australia,” he said.

“This would be a dreadful outcome at a time when we’re already facing a skills shortage, and when universities and schools are already under enormous pressure.”

Earlier this year, the Young Liberals ran a campaign in universities and high schools called ‘Make Education Fair’.

The campaign asked for students to tell them about any teachers or lecturers who expressed anti-Liberal sentiments.

Anti-intellectualism has no place in our universities. If the Young Lieberals want to drive a political barrow, they can do it on their own time without disrupting the education of those who really want one.

-weez


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