Henson school visit probe starts
- 6th October 2008
One of Bill Henson's photographs.
The school principal who allegedly allowed controversial photographer Bill Henson into her school grounds seeking children to photograph, will speak with education department officials this morning.
Sue Knight was principal at St Kilda Park Primary School in winter last year when it is alleged she gave permission to Henson to enter school property.
Victoria's Department of Education Monday issued a statement saying it had commissioned an independent investigation into the incident, due to start this morning.
A department spokesman said no other information on who was conducting the investigation was immediately available.
Today''s statement said senior department staff would assist the investigation and meet with Ms Knight this morning.
Ms Knight is now principal at Coburg West Primary School, in Melbourne's north.
She was not available for comment this morning.
The furore over Henson's visit to the school erupted this weekend, when a new book by journalist David Marr revealed the artist had been allowed into St Kilda Park Primary School and spotted two children he thought would be good models for his work.
One child, a boy, was later photographed after his parents were approached by the school on behalf of the artist, Fairfax Newspapers reported.
Henson this year sparked a blaze of controversy with his photos of nude children.
The Education Department said it had launched its investigation Monday at the request of Premier John Brumby and Education Minister Bronwyn Pike.
Ms Pike said today that consent was the main issue.
"Children have no choice but to be in schools and we have to make sure that we offer them every single right to privacy and protection of their personal rights and that we don't allow them to be objectified or used for personal gain," Ms Pike told ABC Radio.
Meanwhile, David Marr, the author behind the book revealing Bill Henson's controversial method of finding models says that he doesn't see what the problem is.
"I don't see what the problem is so long as the protocols are followed and so long as it is the parents who decide," Marr told ABC Radio Monday.
"This is a man who at the time was regarded as an unimpeachable, leading artist in this country, being taken by a school principal into a playground and suddenly it is this monstrous horror."
"There's nothing unusual about artists going into schools, there's nothing unusual about casting agents for film and television going in there."
Marr, who is also a journalist, said there was a system of "talent spotting" in schools where people were allowed to look around for talent, without the prior consent of parents.
He defended Henson's selection of a boy during the playground visit, who was later photographed shirtless.
"The child was photographed with the full consent of his parents ... he was not photographed at the school."
"The boy was not photographed naked, he's got his shirt off."
The latest round of the Henson debate has led to a split between Marr and fellow Fairfax columnist Miranda Devine, who has today written a story criticising people she describes as apologists for Henson.
Marr took issue with Devine's comments.
"I'll be having a couple of words to Miranda face to face when I get back to Sydney," he said.
"Isn't she a charmer."
- © AAP
