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.

So SEN member Tanya Jacob will not be proceeding with her planned High Court case against the Attorney General in October.

The court case, along with persistent media attention and Human Rights complaints, motivated a change to religious instruction in the Bill.

The Secular Education Network (SEN) was the group behind the move to ban religious teaching in schools.

Spokesperson Mark Honeychurch says that SEN is relieved the government has finally ensured that parents and caregivers should be made aware of any church-led religious instruction their child is receiving.

But whether this happens in practice is up to individual schools.

"The content of the church-led religious instruction 'classes' is not curriculum-based, but young children are incapable of recognising the difference.

To children, what is taught at school is fact.

It is up to us responsible adults in their lives to ensure that evangelism doesn't take place in class time," Honeychurch said.

However, SEN group member David Hines felt the opt-in did not go far enough and said in a separate statement he felt Jacob had "dropped the ball, with the finish line in sight."

"Tanya and I had this wider target in mind when we began our campaign.

It is distressing to see her now accepting a lower target and a campaign dragging on for further years."

"The petition objects only to religious instruction. The court case had a far wider target," Hines said.

"It included: religious observances (such as hymns in school assemblies), chaplains in schools, Christian youth workers, discrimination in secondary schools, Christianised karakia, and a broader definition of what secular education means."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• scoop.co.nz
• Image: cathnews.co.nz

A case is being taken by Jeff McClintock against Red Beach School.

He laid a complaint with the commission several years ago after his daughter was put in a corner when she opted out of the teaching of Bible stories, which happens for 30 minutes a week.

He is also fighting against laws that permit the Bibles in Schools programme, which operates in more than 600 state primary schools.

Mr McClintock's case is scheduled to come to court on April 26.

Applications from the commission and network campaigners David Hines and Tanya Jacob to join Mr McClintock's action will be heard in the High Court in Auckland on April 6.

According to Mr Hines, Red Beach School has objected to them joining Mr McClintock's case.

The Churches Education Commission, which runs Bible in Schools classes, can call limited evidence.

In a statement, the network members said they want the case extended to include secondary schools, evangelistic youth workers and religious songs and prayers in school assemblies.

They also want to call evidence from members of non-Christian religions.

A Give-a-Little page set up by Mr Hines and Ms Jacob to support their action had raised $6070, as of March 21.

The pages stated tens of thousands of dollars needed to be raised.

The page also noted that the Human Rights Commission has set up a mediation between the Secular Education Network and the Ministry of Education.

"That negotiation is continuing and could lead to new guidelines to schools to reduce religious discrimination," the page noted.

Sources

• New Zealand Herald
• Give-a-Little
• Secular Education Network
• Image: West Oak Today

For

Why should New Zealand primary schools continue to offer a Christian religious education programme to students?

Because we live in a global village and therefore primary school students should have the opportunity to learn about the various religions in our world. The Churches Education Commission provides a Christian-based religious education programme. Other religious organisations have equal rights to provide religious-based education programmes in schools.

Because the curriculum we use teaches students the fundamental values upon which our civil society is built, for example: treat others as we would like to be treated, be honest, forgive others, look after people who are less fortunate than you.

Because the Bible is a great work of literature; this ancient book has influenced great works of art, inspired Broadway shows, and has been influential in shaping cultures around the world. Its stories and ideas are embodied in history and literature. This is not to say that other religions don't also have holy books that they read from and hold in high regard; it's important students in an education environment have the opportunity of learning about the religions that have shaped the world in which we live.

Against

The Human Rights Commission in 2009 published guidelines about religion in schools, and it made a sharp distinction between "religious instruction" and "religious education". Religious instruction means programmes that promote a single religion and invite children to make a decision about it. Religious education means programmes that are multi-cultural, and don't invite a decision. Continue reading

Sources

• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: Urban Christian News

Rationalist David Hines has questioned state schools about their religious instruction programmes under the Official Information Act, and plans to create a public database of the findings.

A member of the Secular Education Network, Hines is against religion being taught in publicly funded schools.

The initial results from his survey show that 56 schools have stopped religious education since 2011. Of the 1429 schools that responded, 38 per cent have held some kind of religious instruction during school hours this year.

Another 58 per cent either had no religious instruction, or held it at lunchtime or after school. The remaining 4 per cent had not yet decided.

Some schools said increasing numbers of children were being pulled from classes, while others couldn't fit the Bible in Schools programme into their stretched curriculums.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• gbs2.wikispaces.com