Bishops Guide to declining manners

ROAD ragers, the ugly-parent syndrome and swearing have been cited by federal Education Minister Julie Bishop as more evidence of the decline in civility and good manners. Calling for a zero-tolerance policy on manners, Ms Bishop said schools that reinforced respect for others and good etiquette could help prevent more serious problems for students later in life.

In a speech in Melbourne titled The Liberal Frontier: Building a Civil Society, Ms Bishop used the 2006 Robert Menzies lecture to lament the lack of courtesy among students, parents and road users. "I contend there has been a decline in civility in Australia," Ms Bishop said. "The modern phenomenon of road rage, ugly-parent syndrome, the prevalence of offensive language in a variety of settings, young people not giving up their seat on public transport for the elderly, boorish conduct, schools having to take out apprehended violence orders against students and parents, and the intrusive use oftechnology can all point towards a less-than-desirable level of civility."

Describing the desire to build a civilised society as the "golden thread that connects the touchstones of Australian liberalism", Ms Bishop said that while the issue included manners and etiquette, it could be defined as including three core elements: respect, relations with strangers and self-regulation. "Australian Liberals believe there has been, over the past generation at least, too great an emphasis on teaching young people their rights, to the detriment of teaching them about their responsibilities," Ms Bishop said. "Good manners begin at home. But civility and manners must also be institutionalised in the other institutions of our nation," she said. "Our schools have a duty, or should have a duty, to champion a sense of civility, good manners, tolerance and respect in their students."

While NSW magistrate Pat O'Shane dismissed a case in October last year brought against a 27-year-old drunk who swore at the police, doubting "there is such a thing as community standards any more", Ms Bishop disagreed. She said her views were more in line with those of NSW Chief Justice Jim Spigelman, who spoke in January of the importance of civility and described it as not only relating to matters of etiquette and manners, but as a reflection of respect for other people in general. "(Former New York mayor) Rudolph Giuliani's approach to law and order, by having a zero-tolerance approach to what might seem the small things, might, as Chief Justice Spigelman seems to suggest, have a wider application in terms of the politics of behaviour," Ms Bishop said. "Governments can never replace parents.

The responsibility of governments is to assist parents, by reinforcing what parents want for their child's futures. "Some people might think it doesn't matter if children are taught manners and encouraged to say please and thank you, and apologise when they have wronged another, but if we are to institutionalise civility, we must ensure that schools are reinforcing community standards and common values." Ms Bishop said students could also show respect by wearing a school uniform and singing the national anthem. Samantha Maiden, Political correspondent November 07, 2006