“I’d get in trouble with a lot of my fellow Christian ministers, but in schools, we don’t need Christian religious education, we need people to be literate about the religions that are in New Zealand,” said Anglican vicar John Hebenton, shortly after the Christchurch Mosque massacre. His voice is one a many that are calling Read more
The Secular Education Network (SEN) is launching a fresh challenge against Bible in Schools programmes. David Hines, spokesperson for SEN, has been described in the media as a”retired Journalist and lay preacher. An introduction to a 2012 YouTube video says Hines Was a Methodist minister for 10 years, from 1961. He resigned and became a Read more
About 250 Methodist Church ministers and lay people voted at its national conference in Blenheim on Tuesday to ask the Ministry of Education to have all major religions taught in schools Methodist Church director of mission Trevor Hoggard said the church wanted details about objective religious teaching in schools. “With all the troubles we’re seeing Read more
The Archbishop of Suva Peter Loy Chong said that in some places parishes rather than schools will have to teach religion to the young. He said the inclusion of religious education in schools continues to raise debates in certain quarters within the education system. Chong was speaking during his recent visit to a Napuka Secondary Read more
The county’s largest Bible in Schools provider has won the right to weigh in on a legal stoush over religious instruction in primary schools. The Churches Education Commission (CEC) was granted a say in the landmark case in the High Court at Auckland today. The spat is between Jeff McClintock, who says his daughter was Read more
Political parties are showing their support for a review into religious instruction in state schools. Labour, New Zealand First and the Green Party are indicating they would support change in the way religion is currently taught in schools. Education Minister Hekia Parata says it’s up to Boards of Trustees to determine whether to include some, Read more
Next month The New Zealand Centre for Human Rights Law Policy and Practice is hosting a Symposium on Religion in Schools. This symposium will look into the arguments for and against religious instruction in schools, including a discussion as to how it fits under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The decision to Read more