Additional reading
For those who wish to read the literature on the vital role the religious education (not instruction) plays in social inclusion and tolerance in a pluralist society, we’ve uploaded the following from Australian and British Journals. We post these here in the spirit of “fair use” and acknowledged the copyright holders of this material. Unfortunately these sources are not available on line. These are peer reviewed academic papers, authored by Australia’s leading thinkers in Religious Education.
The Hot Potato of Religious Education
Multifaith Education and Social Inclusion in Australia
Freirean critical pedagogy’s challenge to interfaith education
Want to dig a bit further into the background or history of this issue
2005 Review of the Education Act
Historic Article on the impasse over Religious Instruction – somethings never change
table of significant milestones in Religious Education in Australia
1950 education act thesis (this is an exhaustive review of the history that led up to the 1950 act, 200 pages, 80 MB – for those who really want to know the history)
Documents related to the current litigation:
SRI Complaint (redacted) A file that contains the Complaint filed by Holding Redlich in VEOHRC
Russell Report ch 14 RE Methodology
Russell Report ch 13 RE at School _
Russell Report ch 12 Educating Religion_
Russell Report Ch 8 Schooling Changes
Russell Report Ch 5 Community attitudes
Russell Report Ch 4 Changing RE
Russell Report Ch 2 Teaching since 1872
Russell Report Title, Preface, Contents
| MILESTONES in RELIGION and EDUCATION in VICTORIA | |
| 1836 July The Church Act (Governor Bourke)Legislation supplants Darling Plan to give 1/7 of NSW to Anglican Church and commission them to be registrar of births, marriages and deaths in Australia. Overturns assumed practice of creating “Official Church” in Australia – Law provides finances for clergy, churches and schools to allChristian denominations (respecting the harmonious “mix ” of people in Australian society. Law also mandates that in exchange for state support, that the church reserve some pews for the poor.
1839 May First Catholic Mass in Melbourne (Cath Pop 500), followed by catechism classes. Huge milestone for religious tolerance in Australia. 1840 Jan First Catholic school, maximum enrolment about 40 (Teachers: Mr & Mrs Lynch)1844 Riots break out in Philadelphia, United States – over bible reading in School … no riots in Australia.
1848 Aug Foundation of Catholic Diocese of Melbourne (1 Bishop, 4 Priests, 3 Churches, 6 schools, approx 10,000 Catholics) Churches were established by the petition of people to the Bishop of Sydney. Priests were active, pioneering and keen to develop churches and schools. Soon the gold rush and migration to the goldfields would change the face of the colony. 1848 Denominational School Board – Port Phillip District To encourage local people/groups to establish schools, to ensure standards and educational principles, to provide finance: 50-50% basis or more or less or none. 1851 National Board of Education (Victoria) set up alongside existing DSB to establish own schools. However this dual system was failing – competition for funding and sites. At opening of churches and celebration of first Masses, Catholic Education was always mentioned as a major priority. The bishop’s quinquennial report stated: 18,000 Catholics (23.3%), 13 priests, 11 churches, 30 schools, 2,030 students funded by government grants and parents. The Victorian population doubled in this year. 1852 Legislative Council Enquiry into Education: All schools have a distinctive denominational/ Christian character within their respective schools. 1857 Education Bill to establish National Schools was withdrawn 1860 Catholic Education Committee established to ensure quality of education and act as a lobby/liaison with DSB and represent matters to the Government. 1862 Common Schools Act: State board and local committees, half way measure maintaining dual systems but paving the way for National Schools with non-denominational religious education. 1867 Higinbotham chairs first Royal Commission to solve pathetic performance on the part of church schools, rank illiteracy among the poor and property grabs by churches. Unanimous support from all quarters to rid Australia of “Denominational Grants” and to furnish real education in the young colony. 1869 Higinbotham Bill – designed to teach “Common Christianity” viciously attacked by Clergy of Anglican and Catholic Church. Churches cling to doctrines over cooperation, bill fails, Higinbotham realizes only way forward for Victoria is “Secular Instruction” with firm state control. All efforts to involve church in “shared” or “common” public good, are defeated. Higinbotham repudiates position of integration of religion in schools. 1871 Orange Riots in New York City, Melbourne prepares to pass world’s first public education act that is “Secular, Compulsory and Free” … a radical concept. 1872 The Education Act (1872 Act) Free, Compulsory and Secular. All references to religion were removed for fairness and inclusion – religion allowed “outside” school hours – opt in and not given by school teachers. 1881-1884 Royal Commission on Education (over 1,000 pages – 300 pages on religion in education) Massive lobbying by growing Church and Clerical power, intense effort to kill off “secular” education and regain former denominational” system of instruction and attendant social and financial control. Churches foment sectarianism, division, major disharmony, two opposing final summaries, no action from the report. 1885 First Plenary Council of Australia in Sydney, Topics: Christian Marriage, Education, Catholic Schools, Apostolate to the Aborigines 1895 Second Plenary Council of Australia in Sydney, Topics: Catholic Education, secularism, materialism. 1899 State Referendum for Bibles in State Schools – lost. 1905 Education Act (know as the Registration Act) Registration of Teachers in non-government schools, demanding approved training courses and examination of students by 1910. 1905 Third Plenary Council of Australia in Sydney, Topics: Catholic Education, unity of Catholics, church and State relations. The Church continues attack on the “secular” system of public education, parents threated to ensure Catholic Education of their children and the duty of Catholic Education to teach Catholic doctrine to children. Inspection, examinations of schools, procuring of texts, teacher training and school inspectors also were mandated. 1906 First Teachers College for the Province of Victoria: “Central Teachers’ Training College, Albert Park (Mother Hilda WM and Miss Bell) 1912 Proposed referendum for bibles in State Schools lapsed. “The conscience of a minority is as, sacred as the conscience of the majority” 1948 Kent Hughes, writes letter to CCESS calling for action from Church to “agree on content of Christian teaching that State should implement”. Calls secular system “unfortunate”. 1950 Approval of religious instruction in Victoria state schools, finally secured by CCESS – teachers union refuses to submit to providing lessons, volunteers allowed into schools to instruct children in Christian beliefs. Measure is discussed mostly as an “anti – communist” policy. 1962 winter The Goulburn School Strike – symbolised the struggle for state aid to religious schools since the 1872 Act, became the turning point in State Aid to Catholic schools. 1963 Government Scholarships to Catholic School students commenced. 1970′s State aid to church schools gradually came in 1977 The DOGS (Defense of Government Schools) case – court finds against plaintiff, no constitutional barrier to state funds to church run schools … |
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