Private school parents outraged by Stolen Generation educational program

Parents at a Catholic school in Sydney's south west have complained about an educational exercise on the Stolen Generation that left children allegedly distressed and in tears.

Students became distressed when they were told the government was taking them away from their parents. Source: AAP

On Tuesday morning, school children at St Justin's Catholic Primary School in Oran Park were greeted by a nun who told them their parents were not looking after them well enough and the government had ordered they be taken away from their parents.

The stunt was devised to teach year 4 children about the Stolen Generation and the impact it had on Indigenous Australians.

However, students were not told the stunt was fake until the mid-afternoon, reportedly leaving many children extremely distressed.

A number of parents have complained to the school about the incident, with one mother calling it “emotional abuse” as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Another mother told the Herald she was considering moving her son to the local public school as a result of the incident.

The school defended their actions and said the activity had been run successfully in previous years with no complaints.

The school said they aimed to educate students on an important part of Australian history, but acknowledged the activity could have been handled better.