Religious Instruction in Schools

[beso]

Public (State run) schools in New South Wales are planning to introduce voluntary "Ethics Classes" for students who do not attend "Religious Instruction" classes. The idea is to give these classes to students who have elected (or more to the point, whose parents have elected) not to attend religious classes.

Early trials in one school have resulted in almost half the student body choosing the Ethics classes.

Both the Anglican and Catholic leaders have demanded an urgent review of the proposed program. They are saying that while they had no objection to these classes for students who did not attend religion, the classes are actually attracting students away from the religious education.

They claim their right to provide religious instruction is enshrined in law and includes clauses which prescribe that schools shall not offer competing classes. Apparently this is the case so there is likely to be a confrontation.

Should their existing rights be respected or should the law be changed?

[naomi24]

Religion has no place in the classroom.

[Davethedog]

The law should be changed. I understand why the religious leadership want to protect it but we now live in a growing secular society and if secular parents want take thier children away from religion it is there right.

Religion has been indocrinating people for centuries, based on faith and suoerstition, they have a nerve if someone wishes to look for an alternative.

[rowanwitch]

and what a brilliant idea....hopefully the children wiill use what they learn to develop their own moral codes and question reigious teaching.... if they then decide a religion or belief structure is for them at least they will be making a personal choice. Our RE teacher at school was a bit of a rebel.... we did a bit of everything including ethics and his idea of religious education was to go over the basics of a different one each half term. We loved it and it meant very few of my classmates needed to be excused

[beso]

Very insightful point rowanwitch.

The Ethics classes are based on the principle that a considered philosophy is always preferable to just following what is presented in front of us.

This is what the church fears most of all. People thinking about their beliefs. The Theist doctine inevitably collapses from its stone age foundations upon serious contemplation.

Personally I belive religious studies should be part of education. The Holy Books are the Achilles tendon of Theism. Read them objectively and the amoral absurdity of the doctrine is revealed.

[rowanwitch]

I also went to c of E sunday school for a while that was entertaining let me put it this way the sunday school teacher still remembers me!

[beso]

When aged twelve I debated my RI teacher about her beliefs. She never returned and apparently never even informed the school.

We had a great time for a few weeks in an unsupervised room until the teachers realised. RI became a time to do homewok for the rest of my time at high school.

It is pity because I think I could have had a great time debating someone with a bit more conviction.

[Old_Geezer]

To be concerned about an ethics class cannibalising students from the religious class suggests to me that religion as a whole is probably not happening in the religious class: but I suspect attempts at indoctrination instead ? I can see why the chance to convert would be worth fighting to retain, if that really is what is going on. But the human race does have to go through periods of enlightenment, no point in trying to delay the inevitable.