There’s one day of the week my kids really love. It’s the day they have “non-scripture”. It’s their bludge lesson of the week. No work. Maybe they’ll get to watch a kids’ TV show, or play a computer game.
That’s great for them… but is it really why I send them to school?
Seriously, why do public schools in some states still have scripture classes? According to the latest Census figures, 30 per cent of Australians say they have “no religion”. Now, new information suggests that figure is even higher for kids.
The group Fairness In Religions In Schools has just got its hands on some interesting statistics. More than 40 per cent of students in NSW schools don’t list any religion on their enrolment forms. At individual schools, that figure can be as high as 90 per cent. And yet, every school in NSW still needs to set aside time for scripture classes.
While a growing number of schools do offer ethics classes for non-religious kids, there just aren’t enough volunteer teachers around to make this an option for all schools. It’s a big commitment.
My kids are lucky. They enjoy non-scripture, because they’re allowed to do something they like. Other kids at other schools have very different experiences. Because schools aren’t permitted to provide any educational activities for non-religious students while scripture classes are going on, kids can end up in all sorts of situations.
“We’ve heard of children just being made to sit there,” says Dr Darrin Morgan, NSW operations director for Fairness In Religions In Schools, tells Mamamia.
“We’ve heard of children being made to feel punished, basically, like sitting in the traditional spot where naughty kids go, like outside the principal’s office. One parent’s child came home crying because they were told they couldn’t knit.”