New South Wales education minister Prue Car has labelled “homework” as a “meaningful activity” for students to do at school when religious scripture classes interrupt their normal learning time.
Minister Car (pictured) has defended the Special Religious Education (SRE) program in a formal response to a 1500-strong petition on the state parliament’s website that called for the Minns government to move the program outside class time.
Increasing numbers of students in public schools – and large majorities in some – have to find other activities when religious missionaries take over classrooms for up to an hour a week to provide scripture for some of their classmates.
Minister Car, in a letter to Helen Minnican, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, said the government was supportive and committed to SRE and the Special Education in Ethics (SEE) program.
“During the allocated time/s set aside for SRE and SEE, students who do not attend are provided with supervised, alternative meaningful activities. These activities may include reading, private study or completing homework,” she said.
Steven Cowgill, one of the parents behind the petition, told the Rationalist Society of Australia that he was thankful for everyone who signed the petition but said he was disappointed with the minister’s response.
“It is disappointing that the government ignored the substance of this petition and stuck to the furphy about SRE/SE non-participants doing ‘meaningful activities’,” he said.
He told the RSA’s Secular Agenda podcast late last year that he was hopeful of receiving a substantial response to the petition following years of little or no response from governments of both political persuasions.
RSA Executive Director Si Gladman said Minister Car’s response showed an “appalling disregard” for the learning needs of public school children and the demands of parents.
“The Minns Labor government continues to prioritise the evangelising efforts of religious groups ahead of the learning needs of thousands of public school students,” he said.
“The government would rather have these students doing homework during their class time instead of upsetting religious groups by doing the right thing and moving SRE to out-of-class hours, where those who want to participate in scripture could freely do so without interrupting the learning of all other students.
“The point of homework is that it is done at home – not during school hours in our public schools.”
Last year, Minister Car ruled out New South Wales following Victoria’s lead in moving scripture classes to being held outside of regular class hours.
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Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
Image: Prue Car (Facebook)
Response by Minister Car to petition, 11 June 2024
Dear Ms Minnican,
I write regarding a petition lodged on 7 May 2024, by Mr David Mehan MP, Member for The Entrance, titled ‘Run Optional Scripture and Ethics Lessons Outside Class Time in NSW Public Schools.’
The NSW Government is supportive of and committed to Special Religious Education (SRE) and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) in line with Section 32 and 33A of the Education Act 1990. SRE has been an important part of the NSW public school system since its inception, reflecting the community’s diverse beliefs and values. SEE was introduced in 2011 as a secular alternative.
During the allocated time/s set aside for SRE and SEE, students who do not attend are provided with supervised, alternative meaningful activities. These activities may include reading, private study or completing homework. Further, information about SRE and SEE can be found on the department’s website at http://education.nsw.gov.au/religion-and-ethics.
Sincerely,
Prue Car
Deputy Premier of New South Wales
Minister for Education and Early Learning
Minister for Western Sydney