A long-running court battle over Bible studies being allowed in state primary and intermediate schools has been dropped after an opt-in clause was added to the Education and Training Act 2020. The August 2020 update to the Education and Training Act requires state primary and intermediate schools to enforce an opt-in process for religious instruction. Read more
A Government-sponsored survey questioning the future of religious instruction in state schools is being dismissed by both religious and secular groups as “biased.” The survey was launched last week by an independent charity, the Religious Diversity Centre (RDC), in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The survey asks whether “religious instruction” in state primary schools Read more
The Secular Education Network has launched a Teach, Not Preach petition appealing for Section 54 of the Education and Training Bill to be removed. They say the Education and Workforce Committee’s report to the House of Parliament last week on the Education and Training Bill: “sanctions bible classes for primary school children in state primary Read more
The Auckland High Court has confirmed this week that it will hear the case against school-based religious instruction in October next year. The Secular Education Network is appealing to the High Court for a ruling that these classes are discriminatory and contrary to the Bill of Rights Act, and that school time should be reserved Read more
Primary and intermediate schools will have to ask families for their consent to teach religious instruction – and provides alternatives for those who refuse – if new guidelines are adopted. They would also have to be explicit about what will be taught and whether it endorses a particular faith, draft guidelines released by the Ministry of Read more
A Human Rights Commission spokesperson confirmed it supported the Secular Education Network’s application to have its case to stop religious education in state schools heard at the High Court. “The proceedings were originally filed with the Human Rights Review Tribunal in October 2016 and little substantive progress has been made since then,” the spokesperson said. Read Read more
The Churches Education Commission (CEC) is outraged by claims made by secular education campaigners who want to stop religion being taught in state primary and intermediate schools. Tanya Jacob, the South Island representative of the of the Secular Education Network (SEN), said there are “really quite serious concerns, even concerns about potential for grooming, keeping secrets Read more
According to a Secular Education Network (SEN) survey of state primary and intermediate schools, 37.7 per cent offer religious instruction. The survey received 1663 responses from a total of 1833 state primary and intermediate schools. The SEN website has a resource that shows which schools received the survey and which of them responded to it. Read more
The Auckland Korean Churches Association has issued a public statement Christian eduction is schools. In May, the Secular Education Network filed a case with the Human Rights Review Tribunal claiming that preferential treatment of Christianity in schools was prohibited under the Bill of Rights. Continue reading
The Bible in schools debate goes on. Jeff McClintock, a secular school campaigner will still have his day in court. The High Court had earlier this year struck the so called Bible in Schools case out but Court of Appeal Judges Rhys Harrison, Forrest Miller and Helen Winkelmann have reinstated the case. The Court of Appeal judgment Read more