Students ‘filling in time’ during religious instruction

Many state school students are spending precious learning time colouring in or doing homework while they wait for their peers to complete religious instruction.

UPWARDS of 40 school hours are being “wasted” each year while some students undertake religious instruction, as their peers colour-in or complete homework while they wait.

Pressure is mounting on the Palaszczuk Government to review the century-old provision, following revelations that just a quarter of parents wanted their children to take part in religious instruction (RI) this year.

RI is offered at state schools on an opt-in basis with upwards of an hour each week dedicated to the program.

However The Sunday-Mail can reveal just 26 per cent of parents gave permission for their children to take part this year, spurring further calls for the program to be either modernised or moved outside of classroom hours.

The Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools (QPSSS) has been urging the Government to conduct a parliamentary review — even lodging a petition that’s garnered almost 1400 signatures in a matter of weeks.

Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools spokeswoman Alison Courtice.

According to a RTI document obtained by QPSSS, 152,090 parents or guardians gave permission this year out of the 568,752 enrolments statewide.

A further 175,016 families ticked no, while 57,466 submitted an incomplete form.

A further 184,180 people left the form blank.

QPSSS spokeswoman Alison Courtice said the last time a Queensland government reviewed RI provisions in the Education Act was in 1972 and it was “buried” by the Bjelke-Petersen Government.

The report, which Ms Courtice found at the State Library in 2018, states “Religious instruction, involving the delegate authority of entry to the school on a weekly basis by denominational instructors who seek contact with those children of their own faith is judged by this committee to be at variance with the educational role of the state school in contemporary society.”

“The present practice of persons from outside the school having responsibility for a subject taught in the classroom not only fosters an unfortunate and potentially divisive separation of children in terms of beliefs but also dramatises an artificial separation of religion from the rest of life.”

Pressure is mounting for religious instruction to be modernised.

QPSSS also believes that while RI is supposed to cater to a multitude of faiths, Christianity is “almost exclusively” offered.

“A lot of parents have been expressing concerns over the current RI program in state schools in Queensland for a long time now and participation is well in the minority,” Ms Courtice said.

“Children at state schools who don’t participate in RI aren’t allowed to learn anything new

during RI.

“We are wasting precious learning time and separating children from their classmates based on religion while we’re at it.”

RI was reviewed in October 2004 as part of a wider education review, while some material being taught was reviewed in 2017.

Education Minister Grace Grace said RI was not compulsory and that there was no plan to review the provisions.

“Students not participating in religious instruction receive other supervised instruction in a separate location — such as reading, homework or personal research,” she said.

Queensland Christian RI Network state chair Karen Grenning said RI was taught in curriculum time because it was an important part of a holistic and general education, like sport.

“Schools play a vital role in promoting the spiritual development and wellbeing of young Australians, according to the Melbourne Declaration, which is supported by the Australian Government as well as all State Governments,” she said.

“No student misses out because of RI.”

Belinda Hokins, with daughters Evie and Mia, wants religious instruction to be modernised in classrooms. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Angry mum crucifies the class system

ONCE a week, Belinda Hokins' daughters whip out their colouring pencils to “fill in” time while religious instruction is being taught.

The Gold Coast mother said she and her husband Clint believed schools should be secular.

“We’d love that time to be dedicated to a world religion study rather than everybody sectioned off,” she said.

“It’s a little disappointing that work can’t continue (during religious instruction).”

Ms Hokins, who asked that her daughters’ school be kept private, said every Thursday her children coloured in.

“I had a discussion with the school about removing them for that afternoon be there’s no curriculum taught but was told no,” she said.

“There is no learning. It’s against policy to do anything regarding (new) school work. It’s not an actual art class, it’s a fill in time class.”

The mother said it was nothing against her school, but rather the system. “I signed the petition (Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools),” she said.