I am not a big fan of Scientology and based on accounts of children and adults caught under its spell, I am deeply concerned about its growing numbers and influence. I agree with Independent senator Nick Xenophon, who has pushed for Scientology’s tax-free status to be scrapped.
The latest of many controversies to come out of the Church of Scientology sees one of their schools accused of covering up its allegiance to the Church and allegedly using Government Funds intended for the school to help build a Church of Scientology headquarters.
A Melbourne school linked to the Church of Scientology spends among the lowest per student in Australia despite receiving thousands of dollars in government funding.
Yarralinda School in Mooroolbark has also come under fire for obscuring its affiliation with Scientology, in a flyer that spruiks the school as a ”no homework school”.
My School website reveals Yarralinda School spent $3727 per student in 2009, despite receiving $6171 per student in combined government funding and $4609 per student in fees. //
Victoria’s independent schools spend an average of $15,201 per student, while government schools spend an average $10,178 per student.
However, most of Yarralinda’s income – $7765 per student – was allocated to paying off debts, according to My School.
A former board member at Yarralinda, Paul Schofield, who resigned in 2009, alleged the school’s debt repayments were so high because the school had taken out a mortgage to lend money to the Church of Scientology for its headquarters in Ascot Vale.
”I was livid the school had been left with this debt in order to fund the Scientology building,” he said.
The Australian Education Union called on the federal government to investigate the use of government funding.
”The government is providing recurrent funding for very specific purposes, and it appears this funding is not being used for the purpose of education,” president Angelo Gavrielatos said.
Yarralinda principal Christel Duffy refused to comment on why the school’s spending per student was so low.
I am extremely weary of the Church of Scientology and hope Senator Xenophon is successful in his endeavours.
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