6 Times Redfern Now Showed Us Everyone Has Rights

In this last scene Ms. McCann finally realises that she was wrong and that these students do have rights. So she drives to Joel’s house to pick him up and take him to school. Once she gets there Eddie opens the door looking all smug before asking “So, just to make sure Joel doesn’t have to sing the national anthem?' He then calls Joel. The camera cuts from Ms. McCann to a happy looking Joel. This is definitely a great lesson because it shows us that we should stand up for our beliefs, that we have rights to do so and that those in power can be made to realise this.

After what Joel has done, the other students who were given indigenous scholarship and some who were just standing up for their beliefs decided to also step up and have pride. In this scene a long side on shot shows a few students being held in the gym while Ms. McCann talks to them. These students were held back because they decided to take a seat and not sing the national anthem during assembly. The camera pans over the students who decided to be brave and stand up for their culture. Principal McCann tells them that their parents have worked hard for them to get there, and then a girl named Chloe says, “Miss you’d be wrong there, our parents are right behind us. They’re proud of us for standing up for something and if we get expelled so be it they reckon.” Once Chloe was done saying her thoughts, all the students agree. The students finally realised that they shouldn’t be doing something that they don’t believe in, thanks to Joel, and now they stood up for their rights.

Nic and Eddie (Joel’s parents) were called to school to attend a meeting. What they didn’t know was that Joel was about to get expelled. When Principal McCann tells Joel’s parents Joel doesn’t participate during the national anthem, and that there will be consequences, Joel’s mum suggests that Joel could write a letter of apology and his dad sarcastically says, “Forget about his principles.” When Nic asks Joel about his thoughts he says “I like this school… I don’t want to get into any more trouble. I wanna sing the national anthem but I can’t, I just can’t.” After that is said Principal McCann announces that she has to expel Joel and the camera moves over to Joel and his parents’ faces; as the camera zooms in on their faces you can see their saddened and shocked expression. When Nic hears this she immediately pleads for Joel to get another chance but that didn’t work out to well. After this situation you can say that the principal does not care about other people’s beliefs and that she only wants her school to look great, and in abusing her power she denies individual rights

When Eddie (Joel’s dad) dropped him off at school he told Joel “you know what Joely I have NEVER stood up for that song, not even for the state of origin. It’s not our song. It doesn’t belong to us… You don’t that need stuff to have pride bud!” Then its time for assembly again and this time you can see Joel sitting on his seat while the whole staff and student’s, stand and sing the national anthem. In this scene a long shot shows the whole students standing and singing, then a panning close up shows Joel sitting on his seat. After that the camera moves over to Ms. McCann and you can clearly see shock written all over her face, and Mr. Parish’s baffled expression. This part is where Joel realises that it doesn’t feel right and he doesn’t belong, so he stands up for his belief. This proves how hard and difficult it is for us to stand up for our rights.

This second scene shows Joel standing in front of the mirror practicing to the national anthem. The camera zooms into Joel’s reflection in the mirror and you can’t hear anything but Joel singing. Before this though Mr. Parish told Joel to, “Learn the words of the anthem and write one page of the origins of the advance Australian Fair.” This scene Mr. Parish doesn’t consider Joel’s perspective because he didn’t ask why Joel didn’t sing, he just did what he was told and he wasn’t being a responsible teacher because he also didn’t ask what Joel was feeling. All he did was follow Principal McCann’s instructions to keep his job.

Joel Shields was given an indigenous scholarship to a very prestigious school, Clifton Grammar. In this scene its Joel’s first day; everyday the school has an assembly and in this scene you can see Joel trying to sing the national anthem. As shown on this scene you can see the camera focuses on Joel’s confused face in a very slow pan and then over to show Ms. McCann’s cross face before it showing her walking over to Mr. Parish to tell him that Joel wasn’t singing and that he needs to talk to him. This scene shows that the Principal and the teachers have power over the students.