Humiliated in front of family and fellow students

Discrimination is alive and well at Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy senior campus.

At the recent certificate assembly held on Friday, December 15, there were a number of students who did not receive their School Certificate.

The reason for this appears to be due to the students not paying their "contribution fees" for the year.

The college seems to have the inability to understand the meaning of "contribution".

Some students have paid an amount which they are able to afford, even though it did not meet the full "contribution fee" requested by the college.

Therefore these unfortunate students were humiliated when they were called up on stage at the assembly of parents and family and did not receive their School Certificate or folio.

Discussion with Mr Beattie proved fruitless as his understanding of "contribution" was also vague.

Further discrimination was also revealed by Mr Beattie when he said that these students would not receive the school magazine unless they paid $10.

This also put further pressure on these disadvantaged students who could not pay the full "contribution fee" but had to pay $10 for the school magazine or miss out.

This college does not appear to be teaching their students proper values by these decisions and by humiliating disadvantaged students in front of family, friends and fellow students.

Robert Smith Umina