Latest news with #culturaleducation
ABC News
06-07-2025
- ABC News
Man held valid WWCC check for years after arrest for accessing child abuse material
A Victorian man, known for his involvement in children's cultural education programs, held a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC) for four years after being arrested over accessing child abuse material. Wergaia elder Ronald Marks, a prominent Horsham man, was convicted in the city's Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to accessing child abuse material between 2012 and 2021. The 74-year-old was fined $7,500, and ordered to report to Victoria Police for the next eight years. The ABC now understands that Marks, who was arrested in 2021, held a valid WWCC until he was charged in January 2025. During those four years he attended kindergartens to educate students on cultural issues. A Victoria Police spokesperson said detectives began investigating Marks in 2021, and his physical WWCC card was seized. The Department of Justice was also notified. However, under the current system, a person can be arrested over child-related offences and still hold a valid WWCC. It's not until they are formally charged or convicted that their WWCC might be suspended or cancelled. Yarriambiack Shire Council's chief executive officer Tammy Smith told the ABC that gap was a huge flaw in the system. The ABC revealed this week that the state's Department of Government Services (DGS) had completed an initial review into Victoria's WWCC system. Currently in Victoria, a WWCC can only be revoked following criminal charges or a regulatory finding. A spokesperson for the Victorian government told the ABC it relied on alerts from Victoria Police or other authorities to action a WWCC suspension. The government said it planned to modify the system following its review, with changes due to be implemented in August. Until August last year, Marks was contracted through his personal business, Wergaia Industries, to lead kindergarten cultural awareness programs as part of the School Readiness Program. According to business records, Marks' ABN was cancelled on August 20, 2024. Ms Smith said the council only became aware of Marks' criminal conduct this week following media reports of his conviction. She said Yarriambiack Shire had no idea Marks was arrested in 2021 or charged in January this year, and confirmed council staff had sighted a physical WWCC in October last year. Following the revelations, Ms Smith said the council commenced an internal investigation and found Marks held a valid WWCC when he was contracted to provide the kindergarten program. The ABC spoke with multiple organisations that contracted Marks. All had sighted a WWCC they believed to be valid as late as November 2024. Elicia Napoli, CEO of Emerge Early Years Services, a non-for-profit that operates kindergarten and day-care programs across the Wimmera region, raised concerns about the failure to suspend WWCCs of people under investigation for child-related offences. "There are risks to children, families, educators, community if that doesn't happen," Ms Napoli said. She told the ABC that cultural education was an important part of the curriculum and would continue. In a statement posted online, Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BGLC), the body representing traditional owners of the area, said it was "shocked and appalled" by the news. "Upon learning of the conviction, we immediately terminated all services provided by Mr Marks and launched a full review of his past involvement with our programs," BGLC chair Chris Harrison said. Mr Harrison said BGLC was undertaking a "full safeguarding review" and would be offering support to staff and community. The council is working with BGLC to remove and replace a giant silo art installation featuring the Wergaia elder's face at Sheep Hills. "Both Yarriambiack Shire and Barengi Gadjin Land Council representatives agree that ensuring and supporting the safety of children is of the utmost importance, and therefore the image of Mr Marks on the Sheep Hills Silo should be removed as a matter of priority," Ms Smith said. "The council has engaged with the artist who commissioned the artwork, and we are collaborating with both the artist and Barengi Gadjin Land Council representatives to begin work on the redesign of the silo art." Yarriambiack Shire Council said it hoped to replace Marks' face on the artwork later this month.
ABC News
04-07-2025
- ABC News
Prominent Horsham man Ronald Marks convicted of accessing child abuse material
A prominent mentor for young people in the western Victorian town of Horsham has been sentenced for accessing child abuse material. Ronald Marks, 74, was sentenced on Wednesday for accessing the material between 2012 and 2021. Marks is a Wergaia elder known for his roles in children's cultural education programs in the Wimmera. Marks's face features in a large mural on a silo at Sheep Hills, in Victoria's wheat belt. A Horsham magistrate fined Marks $7,500 and ordered him to report to Victoria Police for the next eight years. The maximum penalty for a first offence of possession of child abuse material in Victoria is 10 years in jail.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DC Charity Foundation and Po Leung Kuk Make History: Setting a World Record in the Most People in an Ink Brush Passing Relay
HONG KONG, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DC Charity Foundation, in collaboration with the Po Leung Kuk, has successfully shattered the World Record for the "Most People in an Ink Brush Passing Relay" at the "Dancing Water Drops" art exhibition held at Tamar Park Hong Kong. The event brought together prominent figures, including Mr. Chris Tang, Secretary for Security, Dr. Ko Wing-man and Dr. Lam Ching-choi, members of the Executive Council, renowned contemporary artist Xu Bei Hong's daughter, celebrated pianist Ms. Xu Fang Fang, and Po Leung Kuk's Director Ms. Carmen Choi, along with teachers and students from affiliated schools. Together, they completed an impressive 600-meter-long water dragon scroll using traditional brush painting techniques, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Dong Jiang water supply to Hong Kong. Initiated by Mr. Simon Ma, founder of the DC Charity Foundation and a distinguished artist, this collaborative effort aims to promote cultural education and teamwork among youth through traditional brush and ink art. Participants included primary school students from Po Leung Kuk, who, under the guidance of artists, engaged in the ink brush painting relay to depict the dragon, symbolizing the spirit of "weathering storms together and moving forward with determination." World Records official adjudicator Ms. Xiong Wen was present to witness and confirm the achievement, announcing that the event involved 259 participants, surpassing the previous record and establishing the largest brush painting relay in the world. Mr. Simon Ma remarked, "Dong Jiang water is the lifeblood of Hong Kong, nourishing this land for 60 years. Today, through art and education, we remind the younger generation of the importance of this gratitude. The students not only learned about traditional culture but also practiced values of mutual support and perseverance through collective creation." Ms. Carmen Choi, Director of Po Leung Kuk, added, "This event is not only a celebration of art but also a manifestation of Po Leung Kuk's mission to educate the young, nurture their morality, pass on the cultural inheritance, and bring goodness to the community." Media EnquiresIntegrated Publicity Services LimitedPeter Wong | peter@ | (852) 2890 7330 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE DC Charity Foundation. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNA
22-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Local art galleries see up to three times growth in sales compared with last year
Art galleries are seeing growth in sales by as much as three times compared with last year, despite higher costs of living brought on by US tariffs. Some have credited the boom to younger corporate buyers and national efforts in strengthening the landscape such as art fairs and public education on art and culture. Muhammad Bahajjaj with more.
CTV News
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Saskatoon celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day
Wanuskewin welcomed many visitors on Saturday, as people gathered to recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day. 'Dancing, food, art, storytelling - all these different elements of culture we aim to showcase here. So, we want to really give people the opportunity to immerse themselves in culture,' said Andrew McDonald, co-executive director at Wanuskewin. The day was filled with learning opportunities for visitors to the centre. One highlight was the chance to help process an elk hide. 'We've been softening and just processing one hide. We're going to do a beavertail in a little bit. And then we just have all the different parts of the animal and kind of the processes that you can see it through,' said Brad Belisle, senior interpreter at Wanuskewin . The event was an opportunity to learn a bit about the history of how Indigenous people lived before colonization. Belisle said the resourcefulness and skill the first peoples had often surprises visitors. 'Just like amazement. Everything on the can be used and people just sometimes don't have the knowledge of what they can be used for,' Belisle said. Throughout the day, visitors could participate in various educational experiences catering to different learning styles. 'There's something out here for everyone, so you can learn in a physical manner or just by watching - there's something for everybody,' Belisle said.
