Mormons caught teaching religion to primary school students

Mormons have infiltrated Sydney public schools to run weekly scripture classes for kindergarten and primary school students, unbeknown to the Department of Education.

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Mormons have been kicked out of teaching weekly scripture classes to primary school students because they are not authorised providers.

The Department of Education has written to principals of at least three schools after The Sunday Telegraph revealed to them the schools were allowing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to run unsupervised scripture classes.

The Mormons have been teaching children as young as five scripture at Kellyville Public School, Matthew Pearce Public School in Baulkham Hills and Oakhill Drive Public School in Castle Hill.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-saints has initiated unsupervised scripture classes at some Sydney schools. Picture: John Appleyard

“The department has contacted these schools to inform them that Church of Latter Day Saints is not an approved provider and they are not authorised to teach Special Religious Education (SRE),” a spokesman said.

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Public schools break for 30 to 60 minutes a week to allow volunteers from 107 religions to teach SRE classes. Only faiths approved by the department are allowed to teach SRE and all volunteers must pass police checks.

All three schools also offer Islamic and Christian SRE classes. While the education department did not know about the Mormon classes, it said it has now determined that all the Mormon volunteers had passed police checks.

Kellyville Public School parent Kym Thomson, whose kids are in a “Combined Christian” class, was shocked there was no oversight of the Mormon class.

“I don’t know what they teach my kids behind closed doors,” she said.

“I rely on the education department to make sure they know what’s being taught and that it’s appropriate for children.”

Volunteers from 107 religions teach SRE classes in NSW public schools.

Darrin Morgan, who heads anti-SRE parent group Fairness In Religions In School (FIRIS), said: “People are walking into these schools without permission and no one would have any idea what is being taught in those classrooms.”

This year the education department has stopped collecting information about students’ religious persuasion and claims it cannot say how many students take SRE.

Faith groups must now demonstrate their scripture teachers have read and understood basic educational training material and don’t have prior convictions for violence, sexual assault or dealing drugs.

Schools are supposed to post the SRE syllabuses online but FIRIS says its research shows just eight primary and seven high schools have done so.

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the voluntary scripture teachers acted on their own volition without permission from church officials.

“We weren’t aware our church members were teaching scripture,” a spokeswoman said.

“The church in NSW has been working for months to make sure our curriculum is in compliance with the department’s standards and we intend to apply for accreditation.

“We will tell our church members not to teach scripture in schools until our curriculum is approved by the education department.”