Scripture
Oooh... we've had our first (minor) disagreement with Ella's school, a situation which took me straight back to my own experiences of parental involvement at school (usually Mum commenting on or objecting to something) and left both Michael and me agonising about what to say or do! Luckily, as it so happened, there really wasn't a drama as far as Ella's teacher was concerned but, as it concerned 'religious instruction', we'd been a bit worried.
When we enrolled Ella at Kororo Public School we knew that although Australian education policy is resolutely secular, nonetheless schools were free - and are encouraged - to provide some sort of religious (read 'christian') instruction at some point in the school week, so we weren't surprised to find that Ella's class would have half an hour of scripture on a Tuesday. We decided to let her sit in for it, even though we were given the option of removing her for that lesson, on the basis that we were worried she might 'stand out' in class by virtue of being British and we don't want to give kids another excuse for picking on her - a parental attitude that goes right back to the fact that Michael and I were both bullied at school.
This was all fine until we found in her bag an example of the sort of scripture lessons she has been getting, at which point we discovered quite strong negative opinions. I don't know the background to the school's decision to use 'Scripture Plus' - a Baptist initiative for kindergarten classes - but the content (preparing for the return of the Master, complete with cartoons showing how those who do not prepare adequately for his return will be booted out of the house of the lord!) was objectionable. I understand from Mary, Ella's teacher, that the visiting teacher who provides scripture lessons, only pulls out the Scripture Plus material at the end of the class, and that Mary also objects to its content. Anyway, as the material is significantly more evangelical in tone than anything we would be happy with (we were imagining little stories about Noah and perhaps a look at the festivals of other faiths), Ella will now be the sole child sitting out the class and helping her teacher rather than absorbing all of that.
Ironically, talking to people who either teach in or know teachers at local private schools - which are usually denominational - less overtly evangelical christian material seems to be taught, which I found a slight comfort. I've always felt that the dissociation between church and state is one of Australia's strengths and it is one of the reasons I have desired Ella to receive a public education (that and the absence of school fees, of course), but if the very good local private secondary school (which just happens to be Anglican) has a more balanced approach to social and cultural education it would be a point in its favour when Ella leaves Kororo Public School.
When we enrolled Ella at Kororo Public School we knew that although Australian education policy is resolutely secular, nonetheless schools were free - and are encouraged - to provide some sort of religious (read 'christian') instruction at some point in the school week, so we weren't surprised to find that Ella's class would have half an hour of scripture on a Tuesday. We decided to let her sit in for it, even though we were given the option of removing her for that lesson, on the basis that we were worried she might 'stand out' in class by virtue of being British and we don't want to give kids another excuse for picking on her - a parental attitude that goes right back to the fact that Michael and I were both bullied at school.
This was all fine until we found in her bag an example of the sort of scripture lessons she has been getting, at which point we discovered quite strong negative opinions. I don't know the background to the school's decision to use 'Scripture Plus' - a Baptist initiative for kindergarten classes - but the content (preparing for the return of the Master, complete with cartoons showing how those who do not prepare adequately for his return will be booted out of the house of the lord!) was objectionable. I understand from Mary, Ella's teacher, that the visiting teacher who provides scripture lessons, only pulls out the Scripture Plus material at the end of the class, and that Mary also objects to its content. Anyway, as the material is significantly more evangelical in tone than anything we would be happy with (we were imagining little stories about Noah and perhaps a look at the festivals of other faiths), Ella will now be the sole child sitting out the class and helping her teacher rather than absorbing all of that.
Ironically, talking to people who either teach in or know teachers at local private schools - which are usually denominational - less overtly evangelical christian material seems to be taught, which I found a slight comfort. I've always felt that the dissociation between church and state is one of Australia's strengths and it is one of the reasons I have desired Ella to receive a public education (that and the absence of school fees, of course), but if the very good local private secondary school (which just happens to be Anglican) has a more balanced approach to social and cultural education it would be a point in its favour when Ella leaves Kororo Public School.
posted by Sara Bowen at 11:25 am
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