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Principal wants better role models

The head of one of WA's biggest schools has used his school newsletter to criticise the behaviour of former treasurer Troy Buswell and business tycoon James Packer, saying it set a bad example for students.

Duncraig-based St Stephen's School principal Tony George said the community often called for more values to be included in the curriculum.

These calls usually emerged after examples of intoxicated or violent behaviour in public were highlighted in the media.

"While we might like to think that it is only a particular group of people that are involved in such things, we do well to note that these examples include government ministers driving while intoxicated and billionaires brawling in the streets," he wrote in the newsletter, which parents received today.

Vasse MP Troy Buswell, who revealed this week he had bipolar disorder, resigned as treasurer after he crashed his ministerial car into parked cars while driving home from a wedding early on February 23.

He later pleaded guilty to 11 traffic offences.

Billionaire businessman James Packer traded blows with long-time friend and Nine Network chief David Gyngell in a Bondi street this week.

"Our children are value sponges - they soak up the values of the communities in which they live," Mr George wrote.

"While curriculum may include references to and descriptions of values, it won't be the curriculum that teaches a child to be honest, caring, generous, forgiving, polite, courteous, gracious and compassionate.

"It is essential that our entire community works together to set standards that are beyond what we see in the newspapers, and at times in our parliaments and businesses."

Mr George told _The West Australian _he was prompted to write his piece after he was invited to Parliament by a local MP on Tuesday and watched the Opposition trying to make Mr Buswell explain his behaviour on the night of the crashes.

He said the Opposition was shouting rudely across the chamber and "baying like a pack of dogs for blood", while the Government was "shirking all responsibility, washing their hands of it".

"I've got to say I was embarrassed because the Parliament was devoid of any leadership," he said.

Mr George said that Mr Packer "brawling in the streets as though he aspires to be a bouncer at one of his casinos" also made schools' job of teaching students values more difficult.