The commission wrote to tens of thousands of Victorian parents at some 100 schools last week.

The letter, from CEC chief executive Stephen Elder, claimed that the Greens' education policies would result in less funding for Catholic students and potentially higher school fees.

The letter also warned that the Greens would stop religious exemptions for employment in Catholic schools.

Principals and school leaders have contacted the Greens, saying that they will not pass on Mr Elder's letter.

One Catholic principal said it was not the role of a school to tell parents how to vote.

"I respect the adults in our school community to make up their own mind about who to vote for," he told The Age.

"I didn't see the point in us telling parents how to vote.

"I am sure they have made up their own minds already."

The Greens have called on the commission to send another letter to families correcting its "misleading comments".

The Greens accused the commission of ignoring the best interest of students and Catholic teachings.

Senator Nick McKim said the Greens' policies on asylum seekers, global warming and the environment were more consistent with Catholic teaching than the major parties' policies.

The senator suggested Mr Elder's letter was motivated by his close association with the Liberal Party.

Mr Elder stood by what he stated in the letter.

He said the Greens would strip funding from non-government schools and repel religious exemptions for employment

He added that the Greens had ignored his requests to clarify its education policies.

Australia's federal election is on July 2.

Sources

• The Age
• Image: Sky News

Anti-Greens flyers have been attached to Catholic school newsletters across the state.

The campaign is targeting school communities in marginal seats, electorates where members are retiring or where the Greens have a strong winning chance.

All in all, the pamphlet was distributed in about 100 schools.

The pamphlet noted that both major parties in the election have committed to fund the Catholic school system.

"Unfortunately, Catholic schools don't have the same commitment from the Greens."

Currently, 62 cents in every dollar of funding comes from government.

The Greens' funding proposals would consider a school's resources and its capacity to generate income from other sources including fees and contributions.

The impact on fees would "undermine our ability to welcome disadvantaged students and their families into our educational community", the pamphlet warned.

The Catholic Education Commission's Stephen Elder also criticised the Greens for seeking to "abolish our ability to hire staff on religious grounds".

"Their education policy explicitly applies this proposal by linking government funding for Catholic schools to 'non-discrimination in the hiring of staff'," he said.

He said this could lead to Catholic principals being forced to employ staff who were critical of their faith.

Their plan was an "affront to the religious liberties currently exercised by the Church and our schools".

Mr Elder said there was a "real chance" the Greens could hold the balance of power after the election.

The Greens argued that under their plan, Catholic schools would actually be better resourced than they would be under the Liberal-National Coalition.

Sources

• Herald Sun
• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: Sky News

Archbishop Hart was asked by Fairfax Media for comment on a case at the Academy of Mary Immaculate in Fitzroy last year.

A student at the all-girls school started a change.org petition after being told by a year-12 co-ordinator that she could not bring a female partner to the formal.

The petition received 1250 signatures and hundreds of comments in support.

The school changed its stance to allow the student to bring a female date.

Archbishop Hart said he appreciated the school's turnabout and believed it had "shown great sensitivity in what is an unusual scenario".

"Students in a secondary school are growing up and in developmental stages where relationships are more like strong friendships and are not usually permanent, they are not in a situation where they are committing," Archbishop Hart said.

"The Catholic Church respects any relationship but always sticks quite firmly with its teaching that a relationship in the eyes of the Church is heterosexual, between a male and female, and that is something we would always stand by."

Academy principal Sr Mary Moloney said the philosophy of allowing students to choose whomever they wish to accompany them to our school formal will continue into the future.

The executive director of Catholic Education Office Melbourne, Stephen Elder, said such decisions were best dealt with by individual schools (rather than at a systemic level) where all local concerns and sensitivities could be taken into account.

It has been eight years since Victoria's Education Department instructed state schools to allow gay couples to attend events together, because discrimination is unlawful under equal opportunity legislation.

Australia's largest youth-led organisation for LGBTI people, Minus18, welcomed Archbishop Hart's comments.

But the group said more needed to be done to make formals inclusive, by, for example, allowing trans- and gender diverse students to dress in the clothes they prefer.

Sources

• The Age
• Image: Herald Sun