Read it and weep:
ACCESS claims that its “values” underpin “our legal, health, financial and social welfare systems”.
Says it reached 117,933 students in over 800 primary schools last year.
Read it and weep:
ACCESS claims that its “values” underpin “our legal, health, financial and social welfare systems”.
Says it reached 117,933 students in over 800 primary schools last year.
What can you say? Our secular education system is no more. I feel sorry for the kids, I can see a new texas with mega churches on every corner with this indoctrination of kids now unhindered. What next, a church in every school? It is up to parents to keep hounding the education minister but he does not seem to be listening, I suspect a religious connection there.
Anyone who persists with the claim that Christian Religious Education in schools is “discriminatory” does so in the face of a legal process that has heard the evidence and has ruled against this claim. Similarly, the continued assertion that CRE classes involve “indoctrination” and “proselytism” shows an ignorance of what actually happens in classrooms and of the guidelines that CRE teachers must adhere to.
I have taught CRE in several schools and I am always careful to encourage my students to form their own beliefs, and I try to treat the viewpoints of all students with respect and courtesy. Our role as CRE teachers is to help children to understand and explore the Christian faith, not to convert or proselytise.
It is disappointing that so many of the opponents of CRE are quick to attack us for what we do without being fair or factual in their assertions.
As the author of Applied Ethical Education – Humanism for Schools, the rejection of which by the 2009 Minister for Education led ultimately to the VCAT case, I rejoice rather than weep over the progress now enshrined in Judge Ginnane’s judgment, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2012/1547.html .
Under paragraph 48 Judge Ginnane notes that the major DEECD’s contracted provider of religion has lost its default position of instructing a child if their parent failed to return Form GC 566 within 14 days, and under paragraph 47 the judge notes that principals are now told that they must “ensure that students who do not attend SRI are appropriately supervised by teachers, and engaged in positive, independent learning such as self-study, including revision or other activities, for example, community service, peer mentoring, participation in clubs or instruction in areas outside the core curriculum”.
By including these concessions in his judgment, Mr Ginnane has left a record in the public’s eye that will make it more difficult for the DEECD, under conceivable importuning by a religious provider, to revert to the previous arrangements. Otherwise the new partially liberalized DEECD instructions could have become something that were briefly on the Department’s website, but removed unannounced overnight.
These are major achievements, which would have been impossible without the pressure of the VCAT case and I’m personally celebrating them and plan to say so from the floor at a public forum on Sunday 4 November in the Village Roadshow Theatrette, State Library, 2-5 pm.
The next step is to find the correct court to challenge ‘may’ = ‘must’ in the DEECD’s delivery of special religious instruction in the principal’s Additional Advice on the DEECD website, because Judge Ginnane found (para 119) that VCAT lacks the power to comment on SRI policy.
As a former Quaker, and a Humanist who is still very friendly with that community, I think of the abolition of slavery in the UK where it took over sixty years from the first court case 1722 to finally achieve partial success under Wilberforce in 1833 and full success in 1842. That may perhaps be our time scale and although at age 85 I may not be around (you never know I suppose) it would be nice to think that FIRIS has got its act together for a long campaign.
One positive step might be to join a coalition initiated by Dr Paul Tonson of the Uniting Church, Nunwading, for the development of ‘general religious education’ not only to be taught by trained school teachers under the 2006 Education Act, but also in the Humanist Society’s view, with the words ‘general religious’ replaced by ‘world-view’.
Harry Gardner, Outstanding Humanist Achiever 2012, Council of Australian Humanist Societies.
As the author of Applied Ethical Education – Humanism for Schools, the rejection of which by the 2009 Minister for Education led ultimately to the VCAT case, I rejoice rather than weep over the progress now enshrined in Judge Ginnane’s judgment, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2012/1547.html .
Under paragraph 48 Judge Ginnane notes that the major DEECD’s contracted provider of religion has lost its default position of instructing a child if their parent failed to return Form GC 566 within 14 days, and under paragraph 47 the judge notes that principals are now told that they must “ensure that students who do not attend SRI are appropriately supervised by teachers, and engaged in positive, independent learning such as self-study, including revision or other activities, for example, community service, peer mentoring, participation in clubs or instruction in areas outside the core curriculum”.
By including these concessions in his judgment, Mr Ginnane has left a record in the public’s eye that will make it more difficult for the DEECD, under conceivable importuning by a religious provider, to revert to the previous arrangements. Otherwise the new partially liberalized DEECD instructions could have become something that were briefly on the Department’s website, but removed unannounced overnight.
These are major achievements, which would have been impossible without the pressure of the VCAT case and I’m personally celebrating them and plan to say so from the floor at a public forum on Sunday 4 November in the Village Roadshow Theatrette, State Library, 2-5 pm.
The next step is to find the correct court to challenge ‘may’ = ‘must’ in the DEECD’s delivery of special religious instruction in the principal’s Additional Advice on the DEECD website, because Judge Ginnane found (para 119) that VCAT lacks the power to comment on SRI policy.
As a former Quaker, and a Humanist who is still very friendly with that community, I think of the abolition of slavery in the UK where it took over sixty years from the first court case 1722 to finally achieve partial success under Wilberforce in 1833 and full success in 1842. That may perhaps be our time scale and although at age 85 I may not be around (you never know I suppose) it would be nice to think that FIRIS has got its act together for a long campaign.
One positive step might be to join a coalition initiated by Dr Paul Tonson of the Uniting Church, Nunwading, for the development of ‘general religious education’ not only to be taught by trained school teachers under the 2006 Education Act, but also in the Humanist Society’s view, with the words ‘general religious’ replaced by ‘world-view’.
Signed: Harry Gardner, Outstanding Humanist Achiever 2012, Council of Australian Humanist Societies.
Ode to the great Access Ministries thee is to strong a foe to defeat
Thy lust for power privilege and wealth is too great.
We pay homage to your divine ominous presence; we shall build you a wooden horse as token of our subservience to your power.
Your virtues Evonne and crew are now known afar
disclaimer
Kids not includes; sold out separately by the state, lab///// liberal government and collaborating servants.
Thanks for the mums who highlighted the abuse of a child’s right to Education.
Thank you to all those with religious beliefs who have fought for children they do no know.
You have SPOTLIGHTED an organisation seeking wealth power and privilege at the expenses of children.
None too different from the
“Stolen Generation”
” Forgotten Children”
and those “sexually abused by the church, with the state unwilling to act” and biased servants covering up…
now we have the “Stolen Education”
So much in just 3years
Secular Education is here, we just have a cuckoo in the nest..get the chicks together and it gets pushed out..we did it when I was 5,(class of 72) Access lasted 3 weeks or so, brilliant to watch the teacher and principle have it out in the quadrangle.. we were so happy they were gone…20 kids getting more rebellious every week , no talking no drawing permitted, meaningless dribble we knew we were being punished but for what?? we were actually planning what to do it was great.. doing the maths on who’d be in it..wouldnt that be a story…little unionist kids take over and throw out access ministries… those were the days, rebellion.
It was our class room GET OUT
P.s great probing exercise well done mums dads and kids
Chuir sin an clamhan gobhlach am measg nan cearc.