Pressure mounts to have religious instruction lessons turfed out of ...

PARENTS Victoria, a statewide democratic organisation representing parents of students in Victorian government schools, has joined teachers to demand that religious instruction classes be scrapped during school hours.

Victoria?s Education Department forces primary schools to run the classes during school time if an accredited instructor is available. About 96 per cent of special religious instruction in Victoria is provided by Christian organisation Access Ministries, whose volunteers run the classes in 850 of the state?s 1,300 government primary schools.

According to this report, parents have always been able to opt their children out of the classes but many say they feel upset about being excluded and are bored by the alternative activities provided.

The government is already under pressure to change the contentious policy, with a case still before the courts alleging the classes are discriminatory and segregate children on the basis of religion.

Psychologist Sophie Aitken and two other unnamed parents have asked the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to order that the classes be held outside school hours. Judge Timothy Ginnane is yet to give a ruling on the case.

In information circulated to its members, Parents Victoria said special religious instruction classes may not be compulsory, but required families of minority religions or no religion to withdraw their children from class.

This policy cannot help but segregate young children on religious grounds, something which is happening with greater frequency as society diversifies. During school all children should be treated as Australians, not members of different religions.

President Sharron Healy said her daughter?s school, Mill Park Primary, had students from 42 different backgrounds.

I?d rather see the kids learning about lots of religions together rather than one specific religion where families have to leave the class. It can be very divisive among kids ? they know if someone is different.

Ms Healy insisted that religion was a family matter that could be taught at churches, temples and synagogues. She said if families really wanted the school to provide religious instruction, it should be in voluntary classes held outside school hours.

Meanwhile, lobby group Fairness in Religions in School has lodged a complaint with the Education Department saying schools are confused about new rules that make the religious instruction opt-in rather than opt-out.

FIRIS says on its website:

Churches have no right to set school curriculum policy.The current policy is designed to favor ACCESS Ministry, and only ACCESS Ministry. ?This group runs a Ministry with government authority and funding.

We support education?about?religion consistent with Australia?s?multicultural character and believe that families can be trusted to attend to the religious formation of their children. The current school policy is a result of political intimidation by a small number of church activists.

This policy divides children and school communities by requiring families of minority religions, or of no religion to withdraw their children from school time.

FIRIS spokesman Tim Heasley said:

Schools are still requiring parents to specifically exclude their children if they do not want them to receive SRI.

RE continues to be controversial in the UK too. It was reported back in June that religious education in Britain was in the midst of a ?growing crisis? .

At its first annual general meeting, the All Party Parlia?ment??ary Group on Religious Educa?tion, formed earlier this year in response to the problem, was told that 860 secondary schools and academies failed to enter any students for the full-course GCSE in religious education, and 260 schools had no candidates for any GCSE RE exam?ina?tions. Heads were also cutting back on posts for RE specialists.

More than 100 MPs who signed an Early Day Motion last year, which called for religious studies to be in?cluded in the EBacc, are sup?port?ing the group. Fiona Bruce, the Con?serva?tive MP for Congleton and one of three vice-chairs, told the meeting that it was essential for RE to be taught by expert teach?ers, in order to counter the preval?ence of misinformation and soci?ety?s ?superficial values?.

RE lessons, she said:

Provide a space where young people can develop informed attitudes to life?s really important issues.

New research published this summer suggests widespread public en?dorsement for the continued place of RE in the school curricu?lum. In a YouGov poll on behalf of the RE Council, more than half of those polled (53 per cent) thought that RE should remain compulsory in schools, and 58 per cent thought it beneficial.

Support for RE was stronger among those aged 18 to 24, possibly reflecting their more recent experience of the subject. About two-thirds said that it was beneficial and essential to a multi-faith society.

Hat tip: Bill Murray

Source: http://freethinker.co.uk/2012/08/05/pressure-mounts-to-have-religious-instruction-lessons-turfed-out-of-victorias-schools/

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