Free Compulsory and Secular

I can still hear my history lecturer, Ed Campion, recall the dream of Sir Henry Parkes for education in NSW.  Parkes' main achievement was to reform the education system. Government-funded education in the state became free, compulsory and secular. State aid was withdrawn from religious schools.  Catholics saw themselves as the main victims of the change and believed they were being singled out for harsh treatment. The system and separation of church and state generally works well, although it is somewhat ironic that government schools offer Special Religious Education Classes.


So today we have Fred Nile politicising education and religion in NSW again.  He wishes to abandon ethics classes in state schools that were established to give a choice from the denominational Special Religious Education classes.


I can see no problem. If people send their children to a secular institution then they should be able to receive secular or humanist ethics classes.  If they choose a religious school then obviously  it comes with the territory, and if they wish to attend a government school and have their children attend religious education lessons then let it be.


Fred, there are more important issues of social justice that you should be focussing on in our society.  As the Letter of James (2.18) states "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.".


Read this interesting article on the topic:


http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=27375