Guardian Australia has undertaken an investigation into the OneSchool Global network, operated by the Exclusive Brethren (now Plymouth Brethren Christian church) across Australia. This network, comprising 120 campuses globally, including 31 in Australia, has received substantial taxpayer funding amounting to over $130 million in the last five years. The investigation reveals a culture of strict control over students’ education and lives, with reports of restricted studies, banned books, and discouragement of university attendance. Former staff and students have expressed concerns about child welfare and pervasive surveillance. The Brethren sect’s leadership, notably Bruce Hales, known within the community as the “Elect Vessel” and “Man of God,” emphasizes the sect’s protective stance against worldly influences infiltrating their schools.
Why Guardian Australia is investigating Exclusive Brethren Schools
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