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Passionate graduation address gets standing ovation

April 13, 2006

CrBrMini.thumb.jpgThe distinguished Australian educator Dr Paul Brock AM received a standing ovation for his passionate and eloquent address to graduands at the last of The University of New England’s four Autumn Graduation ceremonies for 2006.

Dr Brock, who is Director, Learning and Development Research, for the NSW Department of Education and Training, examined “the role that education should play in confronting issues of national – indeed global – significance”. He was speaking to 300 people graduating in the fields of Education and Professional Studies on Saturday 8 April, as well as to their friends and members of their families.

“In all its complex and often contradictory aspects, what has been called the ‘War on Terrorism’ dominates much of contemporary social, political and humanitarian discourse,” he said. “What forces will protect us from the evils imposed on and within society under the banner of terrorism on the one hand, or under the banner of protecting us from terrorism on the other?”

In this climate, he asked “to what can we look today? Surely it must be to education – in all its depth, breadth and rigour . . . . In particular, a quality of public education that is informed, honest, critiqued, and properly resourced; that is properly idealistic and properly sceptical.”

Quoting Voltaire’s famous dictum “While I strongly disagree with what you say, I will defend to the death your right to say it”, he continued: “This is one of the values to which we as educators must always be committed. But I fear that there is a new political correctness, maybe even a new McCarthyism, abroad in Australia. It seems to me that people may be beginning to be afraid to speak out publicly on some important issues.

“Perhaps we are entering a period when we need seriously to remind ourselves of the writings of people like George Orwell and to act upon his insights into political correctness and the gradual dismemberment of freedoms. Those great novels '1984' and 'Animal Farm' cry out for re-reading.”

The full text of Dr Brock’s address is at: http://fehps.une.edu.au/Faculty/2006_Graduation/

Dr Brock was a member of staff of UNE from 1979 to 1993: he was a Senior Lecturer in English and Coordinator of the Secondary English Method course within the Faculty of Education, and spent three years as the Chair of the Teacher Education Program and Sub-Dean of the Faculty. His PhD in English was conferred on him by the University in 1985. His wife Dr Jacqueline Manuel, who accompanied him to the ceremony, is a triple graduate of UNE.

Diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) nine years ago, Dr Brock is an educator and campaigner on the disease. “At any time there are about 1,400 people afflicted with MND in Australia,” he told the graduands. “Every day one Australian dies of MND and one more is diagnosed.

“There is a desperate need to raise the level of community and government awareness of MND. For a disease first identified in the scientific literature by the great French neurologist Jean Charcot in 1869, it is a scientific/medical research disgrace that in 2006 nobody still understands the cause and nobody has yet discovered a cure for MND. Yet in the last 12 months, for example, total funding for MND research right across Australia was a mere pittance of just over $350,000.

Dr Brock concluded his address by quoting a passage from his autobiography ("A Passion for Life", ABC Books, 2004) that summed up his hopes and aspirations for education by focusing on the quality of public-school education he wanted for his own daughters Sophie and Millie – an education that would enable them “to contribute to and enjoy the fruits of living within an Australian society that is fair, just, tolerant, honourable, knowledgeable, prosperous and happy”.

The photograph displayed here shows Dr Brock (centre) with UNE Council member Mrs Jennifer Crew and the Executive Dean of UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, Professor Victor Minichiello.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 13, 2006 01:51 PM