Children made to write apology letters in school to Aboriginal Australians ‘for taking their land’

Children as young as 10 are forced to write letters at school apologizing to Indigenous Australians for ‘taking their land’, photos show.

The photos taken by a parent were sent to One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson, who posted them online.

The letters, written by elementary school children, were pieced together on pieces of paper in the shape of a megaphone with the words rreferring to the country’s colonial past.

“We’re sorry for everything we’ve done,” the letter read.

Another said: ‘We are sorry for the Aboriginal people. We took your country and now we are sad for what we have done.’

‘Aborigines should have many more rights and should be treated well. They should also be an indigenous voice in parliament (sic)’.

Senator Hanson said teachers should “shame on themselves” for psychologically burdening children with historical guilt.

“Under no circumstances should innocent children be blamed for historical events, especially events that happened long before they were even conceived. ‘This is not education; it’s emotional manipulation,” she argued.

What legacy do we leave for future generations if we instill in them a sense of guilt and shame for things they had no part in?

“Instead of striving for unity and social harmony, we are planting seeds for further discord and division.”

It comes after a mother revealed on Thursday how her daughter was told by teachers at her school to “go home and influence your parents to vote yes” for the Indigenous Vote in Parliament.

Sydney’s mother, named Julie, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Thursday that one of her daughters — she has two in a Catholic high school — was also upset that a political agenda was being forced on her while she was trying to learn at school.

‘I have two children; one in high school, the other in high school. They’re two strong young women, and I’m very proud of them,’ Julie said.

Julie said that while the directive to speak about the Voice would have been “from above” and she did not blame teachers, she felt offended that her children were being used as a campaign tool.

“My senior-level daughter had a retreat day where two high-profile employees talked to them on the Voice for about 10 to 15 minutes,” she said.

“They talked about the disinformation on social media and about the No campaign and how important it is that we say Yes.

“They said go home and influence your parents and older siblings who can vote to vote ‘Yes.'”

Julie said she was raised to respect teachers, and so do her children, but added, “We don’t need to be told how to think, thank you very much.”

“I have to stand up for my children.

“This is a good opportunity to actually teach children about Aboriginal history and about our constitution, we don’t learn about that.”

Julie also said her other daughter had a retreat day and was subjected to Voice campaigns.

‘The retreat days are generally about healthy spirituality and subjects like that, which is fantastic.

“They kind of told them about voting ‘yes’, and I asked my daughter how she would like me to handle that, because she was uncomfortable.

“They had a feedback survey about that day, so in the email to them she expressed her own opinion, saying she didn’t like it when her political agendas were imposed.”

Looks like Julie isn’t alone as other parents call into the radio show.

A fellow Sydney mom, Jane, said her 17-year-old son, who also attended a Catholic high school, told her they had a reflection prayer on the PA system this week, including a section about voting for “Yes” on the Voice.

“He went with his friends and approached the deputy principal about why schools get involved in politics,” she explained.

“He was told that the story they read was from the Archbishop of Sydney to all Catholic schools.”

Earlier this year, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference released a statement supporting the Voice as ‘a step towards a fairer and more just Australia’.

A third mother, Marie, then called to say that Liberal MP Julian Leeser, a proponent of Yes, spoke to her child’s independent Catholic school this week, but no one came by to explain the No side.

‘They want former students, parents, teachers and staff to come by to hear why they should vote Yes.’

‘A few weeks ago it was also in the newsletter why we as parents should support this.’

Fordham said parents send their children to school for a “well-rounded education” and not to hear just one side of a debate.

‘The Prime Minister is pushing hard for the Yes campaign, but do we need this in schools?’

“Are they going to do this in the next state election, the next federal election, tell people how to vote?”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the date for the referendum, to be held on October 14, which will ask Australians to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body in parliament.

For the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum to succeed, it needs a double majority, meaning the majority of Australians and the majority of states must vote ‘Yes’, which polls show is making it increasingly difficult for Labor to to sell.