On a quiet Wednesday night in Adelaide recently about 50 people met in a church hall to share concerns about the militarisation of their schools and universities.

A small group of activists — students, academics, school teachers and unionists — had organised the forum.

Jacob Grant, from Students for Palestine at Adelaide University, explained they believed a university should be a place to sturdy, examine and freely critique the way the world works from a humanitarian value base. What they found instead is an alarming campus culture of preparation for war, driven largely by the involvement of armaments companies and their money. The same level of new funding is not being extended to other areas such as the climate crisis or health care.

A student meeting of more than 200 called on the University of Adelaide to completely divest from weapons companies. The University also launched disciplinary action against students and banned members of the public from entering the campus to support the students demands, including an encampment in support of Gaza.

Christine O’Brien, from Teachers and School Staff for Palestine and their sub group: Weapons Out of School, reported that LeFevre High School, in partnership with BAE Weapons Systems, had been making parts for the Australian Navy since 2017. Maritime high school programs in engineering are run in conjunction with the Australian Submarine Corporation and BAE Weapons Systems. Findon Technical College has students doing school-based apprenticeships at Osborne in conjunction with BAE. Premier Malinauskus has said graduating students will be guaranteed a job with BAE. The SA Government is providing $30 million to support defence corporations at Mawson........

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