Xmas card OK, but don’t mention Jesus

Children will be discouraged from inviting school friends to church-run events under Qld’s latest religious crackdown.

Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones.

Queensland schoolchildren will be permitted to hand out Christmas cards in the playground without fear of disciplinary action, but inviting school friends to church-run events would likely be discouraged, under the state’s latest religious instruction advice.

A controversial education departmental edict, suggesting that schools would be required to take action against students found to be “evangelising” to their peers, has been scrapped following a backlash from religious groups and parents.

The department has instead turned its focus to students ­“recruiting” at school, a move that has left religious groups and their lawyers confused over the Queensland government’s official policy towards religious ­instruction in public schools.

Released yesterday, the ­Department of Education and Training’s revised reviews of several religious instruction providers warns that religious instruc­tors should not direct students to recruit other students to religious instruction classes.

“Children come from diverse backgrounds and it is important that RI instructors encourage ­respectful relationships,” the ­reviews say. “However, examples were found of students being ­encouraged to recruit others.

“RI instructors should be reminded in the notes that students should not be encouraged to recruit other students at the school.”

While the backdown on “evangelising” — described in the ­reviews as acts such as sharing Christmas cards that referred to Jesus’s birth, creating Christmas tree decorations to give away or making beaded bracelets to give to friends “as a way of sharing the good news about Jesus” — has been welcomed, Education Minister Kate Jones has been asked to further clarify what is meant by “recruiting” in the new advice.

Following reports in The Australian last month, Ms Jones ­ordered a meeting of the state’s Religious Instruction Quality ­Assurance taskforce, “in which it was made clear there has been no change — and will be no change — to religious instruction policy in Queensland”.

“The department has now amended its previous advice that caused confusion,” she said yesterday. “The changes have unanimous support from RIQA.”

In question time in parliament on Wednesday, Ms Jones gave “an absolute rolled-gold guarantee” that children would not be prevented from talking about their faith, or exchanging Christmas cards, in the playground.

However, lawyer Mark Fowler, who represents several ­religious groups and charities, said the new advice, coupled with the undefined notion of recruitment, gave rise to several uncertainties. “What conduct would it encompass? Is ‘recruitment’ meant to cover such innocuous statements as ‘my church youth group is fun, come along’?” he told The Australian.

The Australian Christian Lobby’s Wendy Francis welcomed the minister’s intervention but also called for further clarification. “What is meant by children not being allowed to recruit other children? Can they not ­invite them to a kids club being run at their church?” she said.

“Principals, teachers, parents and children deserve a full explanation of what exactly the minister means by this.”

The Queensland Christian Religious Instruction Network commended Ms Jones for reaffirming that Labor would continue to support religious instruction in state schools. “We are pleased students can now freely talk about whatever they like in the playground, including their faith,” spokeswoman Karen Grenning said.