By Anna Sublet
2nd May, 2013
The Victorian Education Act allows for education which is free, compulsory and secular. So how do religious instructors, promoting specific faiths, have access to children within our state schools?
At a State School near you
It's nearly the end of the school day at a local state primary school. But for the next half hour, the teaching of the curriculum is suspended. Children are divided into groups based on their religion. These groups are then separated from each other. The classroom door opens to allow church volunteers, some with as little as ten hours of training, to take charge of each group. The teacher is made redundant, sidelined as a spectator in her own classroom. Welcome to supposedly secular education in Victoria. |
| Image copyright Natalie Davey, used with permission |
Special Religious Instruction
In primary schools across Victoria, children as young as 5 are being ministered to by religious volunteers from ACCESS Ministries. ACCESS provides 97% of the Special Religious Instruction (SRI) across Victoria, with roughly two thirds of schools participating.
SRI takes place for 30 minutes a week, within school hours. Parents can make the choice whether or not their children attend using a Department issued form. The volunteers have attended two sessions to equip them to instruct SRI under the Victorian Education & Training Reform Act of 2006.
For some parents, the opportunity for their children to study the Christian religion might seem reasonable. Some people say we are a society based on Christian traditions. However, what many parents are unaware of is that SRI does not offer children education about the Christian religion within its broader context. SRI is, in fact, instruction in a specific faith, to the exclusion of other faiths. This distinction, between education and instruction, is extremely important in a primary school setting.
What of those who do not participate? Those students are forbidden from studying the curriculum during this time. School hours have been given over to preachers. How has our secular education system come to this? And what are students doing SRI being exposed to for this half hour?
Concerns have recently been raised, by parents and by church ministers themselves, that the ACCESS material and its delivery methods constitute proselytising. This is forbidden under Education Department guidelines. Education experts say that SRI is not in line with the Australian and Victorian essential learning standards, AusVELS.
Dr Zyngier wrote in The Conversation earlier this year "Special Religious Instruction (SRI) is a flawed model of segregated and unprofessional religious education, catering to the interests of religious organisations."
Professor Marion Maddox is Adjunct Professor in Religion in Political Life at the University of Newcastle and Professor in the Department of Politics at Macquarie University. Professor Maddox has also recently assessed the official curriculum materials produced by ACCESS Ministries for 'Religion in Life.' She finds a clear aim to convert students stating "My assessment is that the material before me would clearly convey to non-Christian students that...not being a Christian is inferior to being a Christian and that they should...convert."
Tony Taylor from Monash University, who also examined the Access Ministries curriculum, concluded that it was ''primitively anti-educational … a crude form of missionary indoctrination that went out of style in the 1950s. Mainstream Christian schools would be mortified if this kind of ludicrous, inappropriate and exasperating garbage was found in their classrooms,'' he said, in an article in The Age.
But it is not just education experts who query the worth and intent of ACCESS' program within primary schools. Catholic priest, Fr Craig, gave a sermon in 2011 on this issue. Fr Craig made it clear: “I am not a supporter of the Special Religious Education system presently in place in Victoria.” He continued "I think that the parents, teachers and others who object to the SRE system on the grounds that it is an amateur programme being taught by well meaning people who are, actually, there for different reasons than those advertised, are correct."
The Rev Ron Noone, Chaplain of Melbourne Grammar School, also spoke out strongly against church volunteers attempting to 'teach' religion in this video made by the campaign group, FIRIS, Fairness in Religions in Schools.
Taken together, these expert educational and religious opinions present the DEECD with a clear challenge. How can a curriculum which is at odds with the Australian and Victorian standards, and delivered by untrained volunteers, be privileged over teachers teaching?
Access for ACCESS
The original Victorian Education Act of 1872 and its subsequent amendments ‘specifically prohibits teachers in state schools from instructing or promoting any specific faith to students.’ Education was to be free, compulsory and secular.
However, throughout the 1940s there was much debate and controversy about the provision of religious teaching within state schools. After extensive lobbying by religious groups, the Education Act was amended in 1950. It allowed volunteer run SRI classes within school hours for the first time in Victoria's history. The group responsible for this change was the Council for Christian Education in Schools, C.C.E.S, now known as ACCESS Ministries.
Within Victoria, ACCESS claims they can bring God's love to over 200,000 children. These children, say ACCESS, ‘need to know God cares for them.’ Evonne Paddison, in her speech ‘Making Disciples’ at the ACCESS convention in 2008, told followers “In Australia we have a God-given open door to children...our Federal and State Governments allow us to take the Christian faith into our schools and share it. We need to go and make disciples.”
The Big Rescue Bible is just one of the teaching tools available to SRI teachers for use in the primary school classroom.
'When people hear about God they start to change and want to be friends with God,' The Big Rescue Bible says. When proselytising is forbidden, material such as this has no place in a classroom. Conversations like this are best had either at home or in the family's church if they have one. School is a place for learning, enquiry and independent investigation.
When division leads to division
At most primary schools, classes are separated into those who do SRI and those who do not. Such division promotes the notion of separateness and difference to very young children.
For many children, it is a harsh lesson. "Your mum won't go to Heaven," one girl was warned. "You won't get Christmas presents if you don't believe in God," my daughter was told.
In a recent case, discussed in my piece 'God's invitation', parents were horrified when their six year old daughter experienced proselytising in the playground.
SRI instructors are not teachers and they are not educating children about religion. They have no rightful place within the educational school day. Why not offer their instruction before or after school?
To this end, Parents Victoria last month launched a petition, calling for SRI to be delivered outside school hours. It has gone from 20 signatures to over 600 in a week. Parents are getting informed and mobilised. It's time to ring the bell. School's in.
Postscript as of midnight 21 August 2015:
"Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino has announced that Special Religious Instruction (SRI) will be removed from school hours in 2016. SRI will be taken out of class-time and treated as an elective. Instead, children in Victorian public schools will be taught about the major religions which make up our multicultural community, together with secular humanism and ethics." This quote is from the Facebook post of Fairness in Religions in School
Read more in The Age article by Henrietta Cook and Timna Jacks.
Victorian Government press release from November 2015 on the changes to SRI.
James Merlino MP press release on removing SRI from school hours.
(c) Anna Sublet, 2015
For some parents, the opportunity for their children to study the Christian religion might seem reasonable. Some people say we are a society based on Christian traditions. However, what many parents are unaware of is that SRI does not offer children education about the Christian religion within its broader context. SRI is, in fact, instruction in a specific faith, to the exclusion of other faiths. This distinction, between education and instruction, is extremely important in a primary school setting.
What of those who do not participate? Those students are forbidden from studying the curriculum during this time. School hours have been given over to preachers. How has our secular education system come to this? And what are students doing SRI being exposed to for this half hour?
Educational claims
ACCESS Ministries claims “our CRE(SRI) program provides significant educational benefits for students who participate." But does this program, Religion in Life, offer actual education in line with accepted Victorian curriculum standards?Concerns have recently been raised, by parents and by church ministers themselves, that the ACCESS material and its delivery methods constitute proselytising. This is forbidden under Education Department guidelines. Education experts say that SRI is not in line with the Australian and Victorian essential learning standards, AusVELS.
Experts agree
Last month, Dr David Zyngier, Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at Monash University studied ACCESS teaching and learning materials and concluded "The teaching materials do not support the AusVELS, nor do they reflect the recommended Victorian teaching and learning principles (POLTs)."Dr Zyngier wrote in The Conversation earlier this year "Special Religious Instruction (SRI) is a flawed model of segregated and unprofessional religious education, catering to the interests of religious organisations."
Professor Marion Maddox is Adjunct Professor in Religion in Political Life at the University of Newcastle and Professor in the Department of Politics at Macquarie University. Professor Maddox has also recently assessed the official curriculum materials produced by ACCESS Ministries for 'Religion in Life.' She finds a clear aim to convert students stating "My assessment is that the material before me would clearly convey to non-Christian students that...not being a Christian is inferior to being a Christian and that they should...convert."
Tony Taylor from Monash University, who also examined the Access Ministries curriculum, concluded that it was ''primitively anti-educational … a crude form of missionary indoctrination that went out of style in the 1950s. Mainstream Christian schools would be mortified if this kind of ludicrous, inappropriate and exasperating garbage was found in their classrooms,'' he said, in an article in The Age.
But it is not just education experts who query the worth and intent of ACCESS' program within primary schools. Catholic priest, Fr Craig, gave a sermon in 2011 on this issue. Fr Craig made it clear: “I am not a supporter of the Special Religious Education system presently in place in Victoria.” He continued "I think that the parents, teachers and others who object to the SRE system on the grounds that it is an amateur programme being taught by well meaning people who are, actually, there for different reasons than those advertised, are correct."
The Rev Ron Noone, Chaplain of Melbourne Grammar School, also spoke out strongly against church volunteers attempting to 'teach' religion in this video made by the campaign group, FIRIS, Fairness in Religions in Schools.
Mission Field: Education not Expected.
(c) religionsinschools.com
Taken together, these expert educational and religious opinions present the DEECD with a clear challenge. How can a curriculum which is at odds with the Australian and Victorian standards, and delivered by untrained volunteers, be privileged over teachers teaching?
Access for ACCESS
The original Victorian Education Act of 1872 and its subsequent amendments ‘specifically prohibits teachers in state schools from instructing or promoting any specific faith to students.’ Education was to be free, compulsory and secular.
However, throughout the 1940s there was much debate and controversy about the provision of religious teaching within state schools. After extensive lobbying by religious groups, the Education Act was amended in 1950. It allowed volunteer run SRI classes within school hours for the first time in Victoria's history. The group responsible for this change was the Council for Christian Education in Schools, C.C.E.S, now known as ACCESS Ministries.
Within Victoria, ACCESS claims they can bring God's love to over 200,000 children. These children, say ACCESS, ‘need to know God cares for them.’ Evonne Paddison, in her speech ‘Making Disciples’ at the ACCESS convention in 2008, told followers “In Australia we have a God-given open door to children...our Federal and State Governments allow us to take the Christian faith into our schools and share it. We need to go and make disciples.”
Rescue me
 |
| Scan supplied by parent (name withheld) Used with permission Bible Society of Australia |
'When people hear about God they start to change and want to be friends with God,' The Big Rescue Bible says. When proselytising is forbidden, material such as this has no place in a classroom. Conversations like this are best had either at home or in the family's church if they have one. School is a place for learning, enquiry and independent investigation.
When division leads to division
At most primary schools, classes are separated into those who do SRI and those who do not. Such division promotes the notion of separateness and difference to very young children.
For many children, it is a harsh lesson. "Your mum won't go to Heaven," one girl was warned. "You won't get Christmas presents if you don't believe in God," my daughter was told.
In a recent case, discussed in my piece 'God's invitation', parents were horrified when their six year old daughter experienced proselytising in the playground.
Schools need teachers, not preachers
If General Religious Education was offered at primary school, that may well have some relevance to a child's understanding of social, political, philosophical and historic matters. It could also be taught by qualified teachers, to a curriculum standard set by Government and educational authorities.SRI instructors are not teachers and they are not educating children about religion. They have no rightful place within the educational school day. Why not offer their instruction before or after school?
To this end, Parents Victoria last month launched a petition, calling for SRI to be delivered outside school hours. It has gone from 20 signatures to over 600 in a week. Parents are getting informed and mobilised. It's time to ring the bell. School's in.
Postscript as of midnight 21 August 2015:
"Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino has announced that Special Religious Instruction (SRI) will be removed from school hours in 2016. SRI will be taken out of class-time and treated as an elective. Instead, children in Victorian public schools will be taught about the major religions which make up our multicultural community, together with secular humanism and ethics." This quote is from the Facebook post of Fairness in Religions in School
Read more in The Age article by Henrietta Cook and Timna Jacks.
Victorian Government press release from November 2015 on the changes to SRI.
James Merlino MP press release on removing SRI from school hours.
(c) Anna Sublet, 2015
Great article Anna! I wasn't allowed to participate in religious instructions. My parents refused to sign the form. I think I understand more clearly now why. Religious instructions has never been instructing on religion (-s of the world): it's colouring in and listening to Christian biblical tales with teachers wearing strange jumpers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie. It seems such an aberration that this stuff is allowed within school hours, while the curriculum is suspended for others. What is school for? It should not be a recruitment field for missionaries, that's for sure. I could not believe this existed when we started our kids at state school.
ReplyDeleteA really well written and researched piece Anna. Very timely in light of recent govt moves to withdraw compulsory SRI from state schools. About time.
ReplyDelete