- Prestigious Sydney Grammar School called off speech by star
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Parents of children attending Sydney Grammar School have found a way around the institution’s ban on former Socceroos captain Craig Foster giving a lecture to students.
Foster was scheduled to give a guest lecture to students at Sydney Grammar, but the $45,000-a-year institution decided to can the football great turned human rights activist.
Exactly why he was cancelled isn’t clear, but there is speculation the move was prompted by Foster’s strident criticism of Israel and his recent snubbing of an invitation to meet King Charles.
‘We are very mindful that our Ithaka Lecture series must also acknowledge and be respectful of the impact it may have on the wellbeing of members of our community,’ said headmaster Richard Malpass in an email to parents.
‘We believe it is not in the best interests of our community at this time for the lecture scheduled for 23 October to proceed.’
But it seems Grammar students will get to hear from Foster after parents organised a room at the State Library for the lecture.
‘In light of the cancellation of last week’s Sydney Grammar lecture, which was full, parents of the boys, particularly mothers, asked if I would still take the time to speak to their sons,’ Foster announced on social media.
The event has proved very popular, with organisers having to double the capacity of the space and now offering a live-stream option to those who can’t attend in person.
Foster made headlines in May when he stepped down as co-chair of the ARM along with Aussie Olympics great Nova Peris.
Ms Peris said her decision to step down was due to her belief Mr Foster’s decision to write to Football Australia, the International Federation of Association Football and the West Asian Football Federation asking them asking them to suspend Israel from an upcoming FIFA conference ‘had created division’.
The former Socceroos star published his letter online, which explained that the International Court of Justice had deemed Israel’s actions as ‘plausible genocide’.
‘Every member of the football community and your governing body, Football Australia has a duty of care to do everything possible to stop genocide wherever, and whenever it occurs,’ he said.
But Ms Peris said his comments had created division within not only ARM but also across the country.
Forster also made waves earlier in October for the way he turned down an opportunity to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla on their tour of Australia.
The former co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement recently received an invite from NSW Premier Chris Minns and his wife Anna to attend a function where he would be ‘in the presence of’ the royal couple, who begin their journey down under on October 18.
Foster took to X to reply: ‘Thanks Anna and @ChrisMinnsMP. But, no thanks. I look forward to being ‘in the presence of’ our first Aussie Head of State. When we put our big pants on, as a country.’
