What now for school ethics?
The Parliament has not resolved the proposal that secular ethics classes be held at the same time as Scripture teaching in public schools. Some have taken this as an opportunity to attempt the end the church’s right to teach scripture at all. Secular humanism is the code of the Greens Party and a powerful factor in the decision making of all major parties.
Many people understand that the Labor Party has a strong Socialist Left wing which agrees with the Greens and would end all exemptions for churches and church schools including exemptions from employing non-Christians such as non-believers and homosexuals and exemptions to rates and taxes.
But even more people do not understand that the Liberal and National Parties also have a left wing, much to the frustration of traditional conservatives and Christian Parliamentarians within these parties. They will support the Greens and the Labor Socialist left in limiting the influence of churches in society, and expanding secular humanist philosophies. Some of these members of the Opposition, when given a conscience vote supported the Greens on issues important to Christians.
The Opposition parties after much debate came to the conclusion that they will not support ethics classes as an alternative to scripture if it wins power next year. Sean Nicholls in the Sydney Morning Herald writes: ‘’While the NSW Liberals and Nationals understand the importance of ethics we do not believe it should be positioned as an alternative to special religious education,’’ the opposition education spokesman, Adrian Piccoli, said.
‘’We don’t think that students should have to choose between special religious education and ethics classes.’’
Last week the Labor State cabinet approved a change to the wording of the Department of Education policy which forbids ethics classes being run at the same time as scripture classes. Under the government’s plan, the St James Ethics Centre, which ran a successful trial of the classes in NSW primary schools this year, would provide course material and volunteer teachers for all children from kindergarten to year 6. The program would be funded by donations. It is possible that there will be a lack of volunteers and lack of donations.
In the Upper House the Government plus the Greens have a majority and they would be joined by left-wing Liberals and National Party members if given a conscience vote.
The first classes would become available for children in years 5 and 6 by term one next year. Responding, Mr Piccoli said that if the Coalition won the election in March, as the polls indicate it will, it would not support the classes. ‘’If there is a need to build on the existing teaching of values and ethics then it should be through the curriculum or a course offered to all students, not just those of parents who do not wish their children to undertake scripture,’’ he said.
But those of us who worked an prayed against this attack on Scripture classes by providing an alternative for children whose parents do not desire them to attend scripture while preventing children in scripture classes from being taught the values of ethics.
Further more, there are a number of statements concerning the supposed strength of parental opposition to Scripture classes and the responses to the official assessment of the trial.
The executive director of the St James Ethics Centre, Simon Longstaff, was ‘’extremely disappointed’’ with the Coalition decision. If ethics classes did not compete with scripture, the problem of children opting out of scripture being forced to do less meaningful activities would not be solved.’ The Coalition has chosen to put institutional interests ahead of the hundreds of thousands of children in NSW.’’
Asked how the announcement would affect the centre’s willingness to continue preparations for the introduction of the classes in January, Dr Longstaff said he did not know. ‘’We have to make an assessment about whether it’s responsible to ask the community to invest their time and money into a venture that may be futile,’’ he said.
Those of us who have opposed the change and prayed for the retention of Scripture in public schools should not rejoice for long. There are three issues that must be understood.
The recall of ethics classes after the end of 2011 is dependent upon the Liberal National Parties being elected next March. It also depends also on conservative members becoming a majority in the Upper House. It may be that as the only conservative member standing for re-election, unless I am re-elected the leftwing forces may have the numbers to reject this recall of ethics classes.
Second, generally speaking the media have supported the proposal to implement the secular ethics classes and they and the left wing Parliamentarians will continue to keep the issue on the agenda.
Churches must realize they have been given a reprieve for now, and must make sure they provide enough volunteer teachers to cover all schools in their area, that the teachers have sufficient funds to do their work, and that regularity and reliability is paramount.
Finally, churches must make sure their members show some commitment to electing the right people in the Upper House, and spend some time now in urging members to email all Lower House MP’s in the Liberal and National Parties congratulating them on the Coalition’s decision and urging each member to support the Party position including those who have sought to end scripture.
I can assure churches, they will never get a second chance.
REV THE HON DR GORDON MOYES AC MLC