Inquiry will get to bottom of Ethics Course
Monday, 14th November 2011
The Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has thanked the NSW Government for putting the welfare of NSW children first after it referred his private member's Education Amendment (Ethics Classes Repeal) Bill 2011 to a Parliamentary Inquiry.
Rev Nile has argued that the push for 'Special Education in Ethics' had been ideologically driven without applying due diligence with regard to the objectives, curriculum, and implementation of the course. "Today, NSW children in State Primary schools are being taught a course that hasn't a defined objective, published curriculum or appropriate implementation. It is a course that has been marketed to parents as merely a secular alternative to religious instruction in the teaching of social values and ethics. This isn't the case.
The 'Special Education in Ethics' is a philosophical course that presents children with complex social situations, asks them what action they would take and why. There are no right and wrong answers.
The operation of this course has to date ignored concern that the curriculum is still being kept from the Government, Education Department and Parents despite previous assurances it would be made public. It has ignored concern that a failure to provide stated objectives and outcomes is facilitating moral relativism not instruction. It has ignored modern science with regard to the development of the adolescent brain and the cognitive ability of children to tackle complex social issues, issues that can prove divisive even for adults. It has ignored concern that course staff are putting their own personal values in the minds / mouths of the children.
For the first time, this inquiry will get to the bottom of the 'Special Education in Ethics'", said Rev Fred Nile prior to the Government moving the following motion in the NSW Upper House:
1) That General Purpose Standing Committee No.2 inquire into and report on the Education Amendment (Ethics Classes Repeal) Bill 2011 and in particular:
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a) the stated objectives, curriculum, implementation, effectiveness and other related matters pertaining to the current operation of 'special education in ethics' being conducted in State Schools,
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b) whether the Education Amendment (Ethics) Act 2010 should be repealed.
2. That the committee report by 4th June 2012.
In reply, Rev Nile stated in Parliament, "I thank the Government for moving the amendment, which I fully support, to refer the bill and a numbers of matters raised in the amendment to General Purpose Standing Committee No. 2 for investigation. I am sure that the committee will do a good job, conduct a thorough inquiry and get feedback as to the operation of the ethics course. The committee will have the opportunity to inspect ethics classes being conducted to see exactly what is happening.
I put on the record my complete rejection of the statement by Dr John Kaye. He said that I want to impose my religious views on children. That is not true. I fully support the right of parents in New South Wales to choose whether their child goes to special religious education classes. I have always accepted the right of parents to follow their conscience on all other matters. I have been consistent in that. I have no objection to children being involved in worthwhile activities, such as homework and reading, if they do not attend special religious education. However, I have an objection to the current philosophical ethics course which does not teach ethics and should not be called ethics. It does not teach right or wrong. It is a falsehood being imposed on this State. Maybe something else will arise, but at this stage the so-called ethics course does not meet the need. I thank the members for their participation in the debate. I commend the amendment to the House".Government Support for Special Religious Education
Monday, 14th November 2011
The Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has raised the issue of Government support for special religious education and asked the Government what they were doing to strengthen its delivery. Rev raised the issue during question time in the NSW Upper House.
Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile: I direct my question to the Minister for Roads and Ports, representing the Minister for Education.
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What is the New South Wales Government doing to strengthen the delivery of special religious education, also known as scripture, in New South Wales government schools?
The Hon. Duncan Gay: The Minister for Education has indicated that all New South Wales public schools are required to make time available for special religious education, known in many schools as scripture. Special religious education continues to play an important role in New South Wales public schools and is mandated by the Education Act 1990. The Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, and the Minister's office have been meeting regularly with the Inter-church Commission on Religious Education in Schools New South Wales, known as ICCOREIS. These meetings have worked to strengthen the delivery of special religious education in New South Wales government schools.
At the recent Director-General Consultative Committee on Special Religious Education, the Inter-church Commission on Religious Education in Schools made a strong case for special religious education. The committee resolved that the guidelines and policy for delivering special religious education need to be strengthened. This will include a minimum of 30 minutes of meaningful teaching time per week in primary schools and a minimum of one period of meaningful teaching time per week in secondary schools. Currently the legislation only sets a maximum period of time for special religious education during the school week. As schooldays become busier, this provision of a maximum period has resulted in other activities encroaching on the delivery of special religious education in government schools, and that regularly disrupts the thousands of volunteers who deliver the special religious education classes. Further, the important curriculum design work in special religious education is being eroded.
Therefore, the Government wants to insist that a minimum of 30 minutes per week in primary schools and a minimum of one period per week in secondary schools be provided. This gives certainty to the providers and allows them to deliver the curriculum they have developed. Secondly, the Department of Education and Communities has committed to improving the communication to special religious education providers about the students in New South Wales government schools. When a student is registered at a New South Wales government school information about their religion is gathered, although it is not explicitly stated that this information places students into special religious education classes. That is not helpful to parents as they are not provided with appropriate information about the special religious education classes in New South Wales government schools.
The aggregate data about the religion of students is not proactively provided to the special religious education providers, making it difficult for them to plan for volunteers at individual schools. Therefore, the New South Wales Government is trying to strengthen the processes of registration in our schools to ensure that parents are informed about the types of special religious education provided and that timely notification of the nomination of religion on the school enrolment forms is afforded to the special religious education providers so they can appropriately plan for their classes. The New South Wales Government is simply trying to provide certainty for parents and for the special religious education providers. Thirdly, the Minister for Education has committed to providing an annual celebration of special religious education to recognise the effort of special religious education teachers who have provided long years of service and have contributed significantly to our education system. They provide a valuable service and they should be celebrated. This is an appropriate time to recognise the significant efforts of Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile in raising these issues.
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