2011
Priest urges end to "forced" religious education.
Jill Stark
May 22nd 2011, The Age.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/priest-urges-end-to-forced-religious-education-20110521-1exyv.html#ixzz1N1zXvDfx
Commentary from Victoria, where Father Craig D'Alton has decided to stop teaching Relgious Education programs provided by Christian Evangelical Group, Access Ministries.
Keep the proselytisers where they belong.
Adam Brereton
19th May 2011, New Matilda
http://newmatilda.com/2011/05/19/keep-proselytisers-where-they-belong
A recent article from an independent newspaper, with some interesting points to make about the current battle about federally funded chaplains in public schools. It also provides some background history about the origin of government funding for private schools.
Students caught in the culture war crossfire
Fatima Measham
16th May 2011, The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/students-caught-in-the-culture-war-crossfire-20110516-1ep92.html
This article includes a link to a video interview with Mary Bluett, Australian Education Union President.
The author raises an interesting point about the current controversy: "we cannot honestly teach them that Christianity has a monopoly on moral values. We insult their intellect when we do so. We also legitimise prejudice against other faiths. This culture war, however, is not just about Christianity versus other faiths, but faith versus secularism."
Teacher union calls for end to religious classes.
Michael Bachelard
15th May 2011, The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/teacher-union-calls-for-end-to-religious-classes-20110514-1enkw.html
School religion classes probed
Jewel Topsfield
May 13th, 2011. The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/national/school-religion-classes-probed-20110512-1ekr9.html
Evonne Paddison, CEO of Access Ministries, the major provider of religious education in Victorial schools clearly states several times in a speech from 2008, that the primary mission of the organisation was to "go and tell (school students) and make disciples of them". The accompanying video leaves no doubt as to the veracity of the statements. Having been provided with an extract of the speech, Federal and Victorian State governments are investigating this apparent breach of guidelines which ban trying to convert students to any one religion.
Religious education in government schools.
Colleen Ricci
2nd May 2011, The Age
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=135&intversion=344
Godless ethics classes are pointless.
Angela Shanahan
1st May 2011, The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/godless-ethics-classes-are-pointless/story-fn562txd-1225860481656
This article, and the reader comments following it are a useful example of the emotive response the introduction of the Ethics classes have generated. The author takes a negative view, and several points of view are presented by commenters. The author makes a claim that the NSW Teacher's Federation opposes the ethics classes, believing that they are undermining teachers' efforts to incorporate ethical teaching into the curriculum. Given the time and resources put into the Values in Australian Schooling, most recently the Values in Action School Program (VASP, reviewed as a main page blog post), I can appreciate this point of view. However, I think that the success of a secular ethics alternative to 'scripture' classes will serve to encourage faster and wider adoption of the curriculum-based values education being planned and evaluated. The Primary Ethics classes were specifically designed to meet a particular need, to provide meaningful content to children attending the 'non-scripture' option. Prior to the change in the NSW Education Act in November 2010, children whose parents had opted them out of Special Religious Education were forbidden to receive any kind of meaningful instruction during 'scripture' time. This resulted in children watching TV or colouring in in the library, or left in the classroom to be 'minimally supervised' while scripture classes were held in the same room (refer to article linked below, "Forced to listen to word of God").
Why Christianity should be taught, properly, in our schools.
Barney Zwartz
11th April 2011, Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/why-christianity-should-be-taught-properly-in-our-schools-20110410-1d9bb.html
It's time to review religious instruction in schools.
Gary Bouma and Anna Halafoff
8th April 2011, Monash University News and Events
http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/its-time-to-review-religious-instruction-in-schools
Let us get God out of the classroom.
Jewel Topsfield
April 4th, 2011 Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/let-us-get-god-out-of-the-classroom-20110403-1ct2t.html
Coalition folds in Ethics Class Battle
Sean Nicholls
February 3rd 2011, Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/coalition-folds-in-ethics-class-battle-20110202-1advq.html
NSW Coalition won't scrap ethics classes
February 3rd, 2011, Cath News (no author attribution)
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=24916
Forced to listen to word of God
Jenny Dillon
February 3rd 2011, Daily Telegraph.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/forced-to-listen-to-word-of-god/story-fn6b3v4f-1225998981589
2010
Losing Poll Position with Ethics Stance
Sean Nicholls
November 27th 2010, Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/losing-poll-position-with-ethics-stance-20101126-18ajs.html
School Ethics Classes appear doomed at final hurdle.
Sean Nicholls
November 24th 2010, Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/school-ethics-classes-appear-doomed-at-final-hurdle-20101123-185r7.html
Law will protect Ethics Classes from being dumped by Coalition
Sean Nicholls
November 26th 2010, Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/law-will-protect-ethics-classes-from-being-dumped-by-coalition-20101125-18964.html
Special Religious Education - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Catherine Byrne
November 1st, 2010, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2010/11/01/3054122.htm
Catechists attack ethics class report
Damir Gorvocin
October 31st 2010, The Catholic Weekly
http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=7475&class=Latest%20News&subclass=CW%20National
Ethics Classes can lead children to faith
Michael Jensen
October 20th 2010, Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/ethics-classes-can-lead-children-to-faith-20101020-16to5.html
This newspaper article also links to a short news segment produced by Channel 10.
NSW gives high marks to Ethics Classes.
Adam Bennett and Isabel Hayes
October 20th 2010, Sydney Morning Herald
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-gives-high-marks-to-ethics-classes-20101020-16sp3.html
Scripture Classes lose half of students to ethics, say Anglicans.
Jacqueline Maley
May 8th, 2010, Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/scripture-classes-lose-half-of-students-to-ethics-say-anglicans-20100507-ujou.html
2002
Media Release - Curtin University of Technology
Bullying Research Supports National Push for Safer Schools
Cross, D. and Fricker, K.
The "Friendly Schools" program focuses on social disapproval of bullying by skilling children to
recognise their responsibilities and to take action, especially as bystanders, in a bullying situation. It
emphasises building social values, rather than only punishing children who bully.This programme ran from 1999-2010, and is currently being updated to include cyber-bullying, with a relaunch due in 2011.
