The Wire

This morning the ABC released details of a leaked document by Australasian Correctional Management – the company that used to runs Australia’s immigration detention centres. The document was an analysis of a report being produced by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, which we now know is set to blast the Federal government policy of keeping asylum seeking children in mandatory detention. The report details human rights abuses and insufficient health care and ends on a big note – saying that as a deterrent, and for maintaining the integrity of the visa process, the mandatory detention on children is not justified. People of all ages can suffer and feel pain but the suffering of children does evoke a far more emotional response. Six South Australian artists have expressed their response through their art, producing an exhibition called ‘3 years to life: Portraits of refugees children’. The name comes from the average of three years the children spent in Baxter Detention Centre. The work of art is bold and colourful, with each artists bringing their own unique style to the children’s portrait. One of the artists involved was Chris Malhearn. He explained to Jay Lamey that while his art has a political dimension, he doesn’t believes that children should be politicised. Another side of the children and refugee debate relates to Australian school children and how they are taught about such contentious national issues. So how hard is it for teachers to keep their own bias out of the classroom when it comes issues such as the immigration policy or the war in Iraq? Dr Susan Howard, an education academic from the University of South Australia, says upper primary school children are ready to handle such debates and that although it is difficult, she belives teachers are doing a good job.

3 years to Life: Portraits of Refugee Children
Dr Susan Howard