Push to eject scripture classes from primary schools as religion not a priority for inner west families
A PUSH to stop religion being taught at primary schools is gaining momentum after newly-released statistics show many inner west families no longer practise religion.
Inner West
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INNER West parents have ramped up a push to eject scripture lessons from the school curriculum after the State Government was forced to reveal statistics showing most inner west families are not religious.
Parent Ruth Lyons, whose Year 6 child attends Annandale North Public School, said pupils were sitting in silence for at least half an hour each week while others did “happy clapper stuff”.
“Schools should be offering something everyone can benefit from like debating, sport, cooking or dancing,” she said.
State MPs have called for immediate action after data released under Freedom of Information laws revealed most inner west families did not nominate a religion.
Newtown state Greens MP Jenny Leong has called on Education Minister Rob Stokes to either replace the class with a relationships education program or get rid of it altogether.
“No school in the electorate of Newtown has a majority of religious children,” Ms Leong said. “Yet school enrolment forms are designed to funnel children into religious classes.
“NSW should follow Victoria where special religious education was replaced with a relationships education program that teaches children about preventing domestic violence, appreciating diversity, and world histories, cultures and faiths.”
Balmain Greens state MP Jamie Parker said he had fielded numerous phone calls and letters from fed-up parents who wanted scripture and ethics classes removed from the curriculum after they were introduced in schools in 2011.
“It’s simply ridiculous in an area where the majority of schoolchildren are not religious, that this government rule denies teaching to kids who don’t want to do these volunteer-run scripture classes,” he said.
“There could be one student in special religious education and 100 in non-special religious education and this rule would still apply.
“I’ve spoken to parents who were absolutely horrified when these scripture programs were introduced into their children’s schools.
“They know that this means the majority of the children at the school will lose out on so much valuable teaching time.”
Across the state, more than 40 per cent of the 795,000 students in public schools do not list any religion on their enrolment form. Christianity remains the main religion listed at about 45 per cent, particularly on Sydney’s north shore, while some schools in Sydney’s west have as many as 90 per cent of students who identify with Islam.
The least religious school in the state is Australia Street Infants School in Newtown with 90 per cent of students nominating no religion, followed by Yeo Park Infants School in Ashfield at 87 per cent.
In the case of Annandale North, more than half of the 420 students do not attend special religious education.
All schools are required to set aside a minimum of 30 minutes each week for special religious education.
Ms Lyons said even ethics classes were not acceptable as parents did not know what they were teaching.
“We do not want our son to be indoctrinated as a child into one particular brand of religion,” the Lilyfield resident said.
“He can choose for himself as he gets older if he wants to adopt a faith. We do not believe that religious indoctrination should be a part of the school curriculum and, as an extra-curricular activity, it should be done outside school hours.”
INVESTIGATIONS INTO REFUGEE DEATH ON MANUS
An Education Department spokeswoman said special religious education was delivered by religious persuasions that were the approval of Mr Stokes.
“Schools provide meaningful activities for students whose parents have withdrawn them from special religious education,” the spokeswoman said.
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