In a case that exemplifies the private school systems sense of entitlement to public money and resources, the Sophia Mundi Steiner school in Abbotsford is attempting to takeover the St Mary’s Paddock, part of the Collingwood Children’s Farm for a number of new classrooms. This attempt is opposed by the Children’s Farm itself and the Yarra Council but is supported by the Abbotsford Convent Management who is responsible for the site.
The Collingwood Childrens Farm is much loved and utilized not for profit public institution that provides city children with an insight into farm live and has done so since 1979. It is also home to a vibrant farmers market. The stance of the Abbotsford Convent management is highly ironic and dubious also given the recent history of the Convent site. The Kennet State government wanted to sell of the Convent for private development and was only stopped by a powerful community campaign to maintain the land for the benefit of the public. Despite its community origins the Convent’s board was embroiled in controversy throughout 2010 by tenants who accused the board of becoming too commercially focused and out of touch.
As the site is Heritage listed, the development is subject to a review by Heritage Victoria. Over 500 submissions were received by the body, including this one from the Collingwood and Abbotsford Residents Association opposing the schools plans. However in a cruel twist, rather than Heritage Victoria reporting back to the Council for them to make a final decision, it has emerged that it will be the Federal Government not the local council who make the final decision on the site. This is because the proposed classrooms will be built with Federal money as part of the Federal governments stimulus package related “Education Revoution”. So a private school which is receiving public money to build classrooms is now seeking to take over public land on which to build them!! The solution is quite simple, the Sophia Mundi school needs to rent private land somewhere else nearby to expand their school. Are they going to keep progressively taking over the Children’s Farm as their school expands.
The fact this proposal is even being considered is a disgrace and if it continues further both the Abbotsford Convent management and the Sophia Mundi School should be targeted for protest action to shame them over their disregard for the rights of the general public and for damaging such a beautiful institution in the form of the Collingwood Children’s Farm.
If you would like to learn more about this issue or on how to take action visit:
The Save St Mary’s Facebook page
Below is the text from the Online Petition site for more background on the issue
The Collingwood Children’s Farm (CCF) was established in 1979 as a not-for-profit, inner-city farm for the purpose of providing access to and education about Australia’s rich rural heritage to our urban communities. Under the 32-year stewardship of the CCF, the continued use of the farmland surrounding the Abbotsford Convent Complex (ACC) represents an almost unbroken use as such since 1838.
Viewed as a whole, the CCF/ACC is the only remaining inner-city site of Melbourne’s 19th Century farming heritage. There is no other example of a surviving inner-city monastic farm in Australia with the majority of its original farmland intact and still used for that purpose.
Recently a proposal was lodged with Heritage Victoria (on behalf of a private school – the Sophia Mundi Steiner School) to permit the first new major building on the ACC grounds since at least the early 1900’s, in the 4100 square metre paddock known as ‘St Mary’s’. This paddock has been actively used by the Farm since 1979, and is a key component of the Farm’s integrated paddock management system. Its removal from use will impact heavily on soil exhaustion, a major concern on a site farmed for 173 years. It is also integral to the Farm’s school education and community programs.
1. This open space is central to the heritage value of the Farm and ACC. This proposal destroys heritage value.
2. A key driver of the “Save the Convent” community campaign and the ensuing charter of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation (ACF) was to preserve the public open space for all Victorians. This proposal destroys public open space.
3. The Collingwood Children’s Farm’s viability is integral to maintaining the unique world heritage value of this Precinct. This proposal seriously threatens the long term viability of the Farm.
4. The ACF was entrusted with maintaining the ACC heritage vistas and buildings, including views of St Mary’s building. This proposal is a total breach of that trust.
5. Expanding enclosed private school facilities is fundamentally incompatible with maintaining the Convent’s public open space.
We ask Heritage Victoria to reject this proposal and direct the ACF to adhere to its Business Plan 2006-11, in particular:
‘the precinct is unique as it is the last intact 19th Century rural landscape in Melbourne. It creates an 'island' surrounded by the Yarra River and indigenous bushland. It has an inseparable relationship with the pastures of the Collingwood Children's Farm, the Yarra River and the Capital City Bike Path (Main Yarra Trail), which are all very close by.’
Comments
Catholics at it again
In my opinion all religious based schools should be closed down. They should not be allowed to brainwash children with their 12th century beliefs.
Catholics in particular spread their own brand of biggotry against gays. Their stance on contraception is also particularly worrying. Children should not be exposed to such horrendous beliefs.
Close down the catholic schools.
Re: Catholics at it again
If people listen to the Catholics about gays Hiv/Aids would be reduced in Australia as 84% of all people in Australia who have Hiv/Aids are male homosexuals,If you were educated you would realize gays are doing something wrong.Am I anti gay? NO just stating a fact
Most definitely NOT a Catholic school
Sophia Mundi is a Steiner school, most definitely NOT a Catholic school. The building's called St Mary's because it used to a convent.
Steiner Schools are religious schools
Whilst it is true that Steiner schools are not Catholic schools - they are actually RELIGOUS Schools. They are based on Rudulph Steiner's religious theory known as Anthroposophy. I have included two quotes below (referenced with links) to some Wikipedia pages on Steiner to evidence this statement. The religious aspects of Steiners schools is not well known and is downplayed by the Steiner school movement.
However - it is also beyond dispute and the main point of the article that Sophia Mundi school IS a PRIVATE school - whatever it religous affiliations trying to steal public land used by the communtiy in the form of Collingwood Childrens Farm - SHAME Sophia Mundi - SHAME!
Waldorf education is implicitly infused with spirituality throughout the curriculum,[12] which includes a wide range of religious traditions without favoring any single tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education#Spiritual_foundations
Lucifer and his counterpart Ahriman figure in anthroposophy as two polar, generally evil influences on world and human evolution. Steiner described both positive and negative aspects of both figures. He described Lucifer as the light spirit, which "plays on human pride and offers the delusion of divinity", but also motivates creativity and spirituality; Ahriman as the dark spirit, which tempts human beings to "...deny [their] link with divinity and to live entirely on the material plane", but also stimulates intellectuality and technology. Both figures exert a negative effect on humanity when their influence becomes misplaced or one-sided, yet their influences are necessary for human freedom to unfold.[1][4]
According to anthroposophy, each human being has the task to find a balance between these opposing influences, and each is helped in this task by the mediation of the Representative of Humanity, also known as the Christ being, a spiritual entity who stands between and harmonizes the two extremes.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthroposophy
I learnt at Steiner that what I want to achieve is up to me
I attended 2 Steiner schools over 7 years of my schooling and at no time were there any studies or lesson in Catholic religion, or any religion being better than any other. If that was the case, I would not have attended these schools - I do not believe in religion.
Just like most schools, we respected anyone who had their beliefs and we learnt about these when they came around.
I find it stupid to use Wikipedia to back up your argument here - every Steiner school is so different from the other.
The 2 Steiner schools I attended were private non-government funding Steiner schools. While there may have been students who followed a religion, I didn't know if this was the case for any of my fellow students because the school did not encourage, teach nor discourage discussion of peoples faith or spirituality.
If anything my fellow students were more along the lines of believing in just the beauty of mother nature and what humanity can achieve,
What I did learn at Steiner is what I want to achieve is up to me, and that's what Ive gone and done.