- Henson principal could face suspension
- By Farrah Tomazin, Andra Jackson, David Rood and Geoff Strong
- The Age
- 07/10/2008 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 264 articles in 2008 )
THE principal who allowed controversial artist Bill Henson into her school to scout for child models faces possible suspension if a Government investigation finds she acted inappropriately.
But Sue Knight yesterday refused to say whether she believed she did anything wrong as the case continued to divide parents, teachers and principals.
Dr Knight is being investigated for allowing Henson to tour the grounds of her former school, St Kilda Park Primary, to find subjects to pose for him. Henson, widely known for his photographs of naked children, eventually found a boy to photograph with the consent of his parents.
But the case has sparked a public outcry - not only about Henson's work, but whether Dr Knight breached guidelines by allowing him into the school to look for models. Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said Dr Knight faced penalties ranging from a written warning to suspension if the Department of Education review found she had acted inappropriately.
"I think the most important thing here is consent," Ms Pike said. "I don't think that people should be approaching schools so that children can be used for their own personal gain."
Speaking publicly for the first time yesterday, Dr Knight - now the head of Coburg West Primary - said she could not comment while the investigation was under way.
She refused to say how she knew Henson or whether reports that she toured the school grounds with him were correct. Pressed on whether she expected to be exonerated, Dr Knight said: "I am acting on advice from the department and I wouldn't dream of pre-empting the investigation's results and conclusions, but I am looking forward to hearing them too."
Many parents and teachers have rallied around Dr Knight, who, during her stint at St Kilda Park Primary, was widely regarded as an "exemplary" principal. But a number of parents and the nation's top principals' association expressed anger.
"No matter which way you look at it, it was inappropriate," said Australian Primary Principals' Association president Leonie Trimper.
"Any connection with a school really has to have a connection with the school's core educational business. If someone is looking for models, they should use modelling agencies."
St Kilda Park Primary school council president David Myer said Dr Knight had the school's backing. Six-time Olympic rower James Tomkins, whose daughter is in grade one at St Kilda Park, also supported the school's decision-making.
And The Footy Show comedian Trevor Marmalade, whose two children attend the school, described Dr Knight as an exemplary principal.
"There is no way known she would ever have put a child in a situation where they would have been at risk," he told 3AW.
Australian Education Union acting president Meredith Peace accused politicians of fuelling the "hysteria".
"Scouting - or whatever word you want to use - of people in our schools occurs all the time … our politicians regularly use our schools to promote their own activities," she said. "Any debate in this issue should be about whether there has been a breach of process, and until that has been dealt with, we don't want to pass judgement on the principal concerned."
The Department of Education has enlisted Rose Bryant-Smith, an accredited investigator and mediator with Worklogic Consulting Pty Ltd, to investigate the case.
School guidelines obtained by The Age state that principals and teachers have a legal duty of care for students, that children should never be photographed without their parents' consent, and that "there is no general right of the public at large to be (at a school), either within or outside school hours".
But the department said principals had a level of discretion on such matters.
But Sue Knight yesterday refused to say whether she believed she did anything wrong as the case continued to divide parents, teachers and principals.
Dr Knight is being investigated for allowing Henson to tour the grounds of her former school, St Kilda Park Primary, to find subjects to pose for him. Henson, widely known for his photographs of naked children, eventually found a boy to photograph with the consent of his parents.
But the case has sparked a public outcry - not only about Henson's work, but whether Dr Knight breached guidelines by allowing him into the school to look for models. Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said Dr Knight faced penalties ranging from a written warning to suspension if the Department of Education review found she had acted inappropriately.
"I think the most important thing here is consent," Ms Pike said. "I don't think that people should be approaching schools so that children can be used for their own personal gain."
Speaking publicly for the first time yesterday, Dr Knight - now the head of Coburg West Primary - said she could not comment while the investigation was under way.
She refused to say how she knew Henson or whether reports that she toured the school grounds with him were correct. Pressed on whether she expected to be exonerated, Dr Knight said: "I am acting on advice from the department and I wouldn't dream of pre-empting the investigation's results and conclusions, but I am looking forward to hearing them too."
Many parents and teachers have rallied around Dr Knight, who, during her stint at St Kilda Park Primary, was widely regarded as an "exemplary" principal. But a number of parents and the nation's top principals' association expressed anger.
"No matter which way you look at it, it was inappropriate," said Australian Primary Principals' Association president Leonie Trimper.
"Any connection with a school really has to have a connection with the school's core educational business. If someone is looking for models, they should use modelling agencies."
St Kilda Park Primary school council president David Myer said Dr Knight had the school's backing. Six-time Olympic rower James Tomkins, whose daughter is in grade one at St Kilda Park, also supported the school's decision-making.
And The Footy Show comedian Trevor Marmalade, whose two children attend the school, described Dr Knight as an exemplary principal.
"There is no way known she would ever have put a child in a situation where they would have been at risk," he told 3AW.
Australian Education Union acting president Meredith Peace accused politicians of fuelling the "hysteria".
"Scouting - or whatever word you want to use - of people in our schools occurs all the time … our politicians regularly use our schools to promote their own activities," she said. "Any debate in this issue should be about whether there has been a breach of process, and until that has been dealt with, we don't want to pass judgement on the principal concerned."
The Department of Education has enlisted Rose Bryant-Smith, an accredited investigator and mediator with Worklogic Consulting Pty Ltd, to investigate the case.
School guidelines obtained by The Age state that principals and teachers have a legal duty of care for students, that children should never be photographed without their parents' consent, and that "there is no general right of the public at large to be (at a school), either within or outside school hours".
But the department said principals had a level of discretion on such matters.
Source: https://www.theage.com.au/national/henson-principal-could-face-suspension-20081006-4v1y.html?page=-1
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