Peter Vardy, a British academic has said that the Federal Government’s Values Education (PDF) fails to deal with real issues facing Australia’s youth. I’m not so certain of that. Let’s look at what the core values really mean to the government…
- Care and Compassion: we don’t and we haven’t any
- Doing Your Best: provide your best “incentives” when you tender for a job
- Fair Go: those with white skin will go further in our society than coloured people
- Freedom: we have the freedom to run your life for you, especially if you are poor. Also, only applies to people who don’t come to Australia looking for it.
- Honesty and Trustworthiness: a core value that only applies to core promises. Trust us, we’re honest.
- Integrity: a system has integrity when everyone tows the line
- Respect: always respect those with lots of wealth or good breeding.
- Responsibility: something which somebody lower down the pecking order has.
- Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion: understand that we only tolerate those who can be included in the definition of fundamentalist Christianity.