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
Posts Tagged ‘Secular education’
Church Education Commission outraged by accusations of bullying, secrets and grooming
Thursday, September 28th, 2017
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
Should motivational speaker who is also a Christian preacher be allowed in schools?
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
Tony Kane, the principal of Kapiti College north of Wellington is defending the school’s decision to allow a motivation a speaker, who happens to be Christian preacher, to give a presentation in his school. He was speaking after some parents had expressed concern that an American Christian preacher Reggie Dabbs gave a motivational speech at Kapiti College. Read more
Yoga to be taught in all Fiji schools
Tuesday, June 28th, 2016
Fiji’s education minister Dr Mahendra Reddy has announced that yoga will be part of the primary and secondary school curriculum from this year. “It is a beginning of a new era in education, an era that we are trying to develop to contribute towards character building, towards securing a physically and mentally stable fitter Fiji.” Read more
Bible in Schools – appeal upheld, case continues
Friday, June 24th, 2016
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
Bible in Schools campaigner to appeal strike off of case
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Bible in Schools campaigner Jeff McClintock has gone to the Court of Appeal about the decision to strike out of his case. He took the board of Red Beach School on the Hibiscus Coast to court because he alleged the school’s Bible in Schools classes showed disrespect for his daughter’s rights to freedom of religion. The Read more
Religious Studies in schools: Legal challenge by Church Commission
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
On Thursday, the Churches Education Commission (CEC) will launch a legal challenge to be allowed to give evidence in a dispute between a family who believe their daughter was segregated and humiliated after opting out of religious studies, and a Whangaparaoa school. The lawyer representing the McClintock family, Richard Francois, is also seeking to repeal Read more
Parties show support for religious instruction review
Friday, August 29th, 2014Political 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
Silly complaint about religion
Friday, July 25th, 2014
An editorial on the Suff website labels as “plain silly” a woman’s complaint that her son could hear religious instruction from the classroom next door. He was in the room for the duration of a religious education class that he had chosen not to attend. Tanya Jacob says she pulled her son out of Harewood Read more
Bibles in Schools issue goes to Human Rights Commission
Friday, July 4th, 2014
A parent has taken concerns about religious teaching to the Human Rights Commission in the latest effort to remove the lessons from state school time. Red Beach School north of Auckland has been in a long-running dispute with parent Jeff McClintock over its Values in Action lessons, which are 30 minutes a week and teach Read more