Towards an ethics-based complement scripture in NSW primary schools

By Simon Longstaff

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 77 spring 2009

Did you know that children whose parents make a conscientious decision to have their children opt out of special religious education (SRE) in NSW primary schools are prohibited from receiving any form of instruction during this period? A recent community consultation conducted by the Centre suggests it’s time for change.

NSW Education Policy (Section 3.11) dictates that if parents make a conscientious decision to have their children opt out of SRE, those students will spend an entire period without formal learning.

Even more surprising may be that this policy specifically states that there will be no alternative on offer in the area of ‘ethics, values, civics or general religious education’.

Not surprisingly, there are many people in the community who would like to see something useful provided for those kids whose parents have elected for them to opt out of SRE. That students are ‘colouring in’, instead of exploring fundamental themes about the good life, that would help them to live well, care about others and make a positive contribution to the community, is of concern to many parents, teachers and organisations such as St James Ethics Centre (the Centre) and the Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW (the P and C).

St James Ethics Centre has been advocating for the establishment of such a program for many years. In 2003, a number of parents, along with the P and C, approached the Centre about the possibility of creating a secular, ethics-based course to serve as an option to scripture. Parents who were concerned about the ethical formation of their children, but who declined to tie this to a particular religious tradition, felt there must be a means of providing such instruction during the period that is devoted to SRE.

With this in mind, the Centre approached the then Premier, the Hon Bob Carr MP, with a proposal to create an introductory ethics-based course for primary school children. He directed the request to then Minister for Education, Andrew Refshauge, who indicated in his response there was neither scope for implementation, nor was there a community-wide call.

Contrary to the Minister’s view at that time, evidence from a 2004 survey conducted by the P and C suggests that he may have underestimated community interest.

Findings included that:

• 59% of parents thought it was important or very important that their child be given the option of attending a secular, ethics-based class;
•  79% of parents said they would support their children being exposed to faiths;
• other than their own; and
• almost 25% of parents said they would like to see the teaching of faiths other than their own.

Subsequent to the 2004 survey, the Centre’s proposal was resubmitted by the P and C to the then Minister of Education, Carmel Tebbett, but was, once again, rejected.

In response to renewed interest, the Centre engaged in broad community consultation on the issue over the past twelve months. It has come to the conclusion that the creation of a secular, ethics-based course to serve as an option to scripture is seen by many in the community as being a social justice issue: all children have the right to ethical instruction, whether or not it is tied to a particular religious tradition.  Leaders and citizens from across diverse communities - including faith-based, youth mental health, education and academic – agree.  It is our collective view that there ought to be a meaningful complement to scripture for those children who opt out of SRE.

The Centre’s work is not intended to divert children away from attending scripture. If anything, the Centre would encourage all children to explore the spiritual dimension of their lives and where appropriate, to develop a better understanding of the religious traditions of their family. However, the Centre does not think that the benefits accruing to some students should be at the expense of others whose parents choose not or cannot send their children to a scripture class.

Interestingly, many of the faith-based groups with whom the Centre consulted welcomed the possibility of an ethics-based course, partly because they are unable to meet the demand for instructors in their own faiths. Others have expressed interest in contributing to and/or accessing these ethics-based materials. The Centre welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively in the provision of an ethics-based course.

Mental health

Contemporary youth mental health research is equally compelling. In the past decade, researchers have determined a link between a child’s sense of purpose or meaning, benevolent behaviour and vital mental health. By denying children the right to explore fundamental themes and virtues, we are essentially denying them the right to contribute to their own wellbeing, and by extension, that of the community.

Recent progress

At the invitation of the NSW Minister of Education, the Centre met with officials from the Department of Education and Training earlier this year. The Department advised that ethics is already part of the standard NSW primary school curriculum and that any amendment to Section 3.11 ought to have consent from the Inter-Church Consultative Committee on Religious Education in Schools (ICCOREIS). The Centre reported back to the Minister with the following:

• there is demonstrated community-wide interest in the provision of an ethics-based course for children whose parents have made a conscientious decision to have them opt out of SRE;
• the decision to amend policy and permit an ethics-based option to scripture ought to be based on community interest and support rather than the views of the Department of Education’s Inter-Church Consultative Committee on Religious Education in Schools (ICCOREIS);
• St James Ethics Centre is not advocating to replace scripture but rather to provide a meaningful option for those children who are currently prohibited from any form of instruction during this period;
• whilst ethics is addressed in the broader curriculum, scripture and non-scripture students alike ought to have the opportunity to extend this learning whether in scripture or in an ethics-based course.

This last point is especially important. It is clear that the NSW Department of Education’s primary schools incorporate in the main curriculum a number of activities that are designed to provide an ethical foundation for students. This is highly commendable. However, this aspect of the curriculum is equitably provided to all students (including those who attend scripture classes). The problem is that students attending scripture are having an additional experience that is designed to deepen their understanding – not just of religion but also the associated moral codes. On the other hand, children not attending scripture are left to themselves – denied a good simply because their parents hold different convictions to those who send their children to scripture.

In July 2009, the P and C once again addressed this issue with the passing of a motion recommending that "the NSW Government introduce an ethics and/or philosophy based complement to special religious education". To provide a means of moving forward, the Centre then proposed a pilot project to test the concept of offering an ethics-based complement. Within two weeks, close to twenty schools had contacted the Centre to learn more about the proposed pilot and register interest.

The Minister of Education is currently considering the request - put forth by the P and C, St James Ethics Centre, interested schools and community endorsees - to approve the pilot. Outcomes of the pilot will permit the Minister to further determine community interest and provide a measure of effectiveness with regard to content and delivery.

Learn more about the ethics-based complement to scripture project.

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