Educational Leadership

The Religious Discrimination Bill does nothing to protect LGBTQ+ students and teachers. It will allow more, not less, discrimination by religious schools.

Body image issues, coping with stress and problems at school were the three big worries for all young people who did the survey, but Indigenous children were far more likely to have fears about personal safety, drugs, bullying and discrimination.

But the Archdeacon of Albury, Peter MacLeod-Miller, said the disclosure of the Ruddock review had been a "blessing in disguise" because most Australians would be "horrified" that teachers within religious schools are vulnerable to prejudice.

"Their current vulnerability produces fear and forces adult employees into hiding which is the most appalling modelling for the students in their care and makes a nonsense of the extra $52 million youth mental health funding just announced," he said.

"Faith-based discrimination makes refugees out of people within our own families, society and even faith communities.

"If discrimination is bad for children at what age does it become good for adults?"