The seating arrangement for children attending Hindu scripture classes in New South Wales public schools is based on caste hierarchical order, according to claims made by members of the Hindu community.

A report produced by the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia (FECCA) earlier this year reveals a “vehement objection” to the way Hindu Special Religious Education (SRE) classes are run.

The FECCA report is based on information gathered in focus groups discussions with 27 members of the Periyar Ambedkar Thoughts Circle of Australia (PATCA) group as part of community consultations for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework.

Participants in the focus groups raised concerns about the SRE program’s links to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is described in the report as a “right-wing Hindu organisation” that “uncritically perpetuates caste identity and hierarchy”.

The report claims that there is a rise of caste-based discrimination and bullying in public schools.

In comments made in the discussion groups, one participant said:

“The core curriculum is designed by VHP, and it offers a systematic introduction of the hierarchical segregation between the upper castes and the low caste in the form of Brahmas, Kshatriyas Vaishyas, and Shudras. Students enrolled into Scripture classes are accepting this human hierarchy as a fact. Moreover, the Scripture class trainers sent by the VHP are upper caste people (i.e Brahmins) and they organise the class seating arrangement along the caste hierarchical order.”

Another participant said the teaching of caste in SRE would negatively impact children and “stay with them their whole life”.

“I find it very explicitly a form of racism and this must be investigated because the children are being impregnated with this sort of feelings and knowledge and things.”

The report says participants with school-aged children echoed similar sentiments in all three consultation sessions.

“There was a vehement objection against the way Hindu scripture classes were run and that there was no attempt to educate students on the economic and social effects of caste identity.”

The Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) received a copy of the report after noting earlier this month that the topic had been raised at parliament’s budget estimates hearing in August.

According to the VHP website, 250 of its volunteers deliver SRE to 25,000 students in public primary and secondary schools each week.

In the budget estimates hearing, multiculturalism minister Steve Kamper said he was not aware of the claims in the report and suggested to Greens MP Cate Faehrmann that it be raised with education minister Prue Car.

RSA Executive Director Si Gladman said he would be raising concerns with Minister Car this week.

The SRE program has long been embroiled in controversy, with volunteer religious people allowed by law to take over normal learning time, segregate children along religious lines and indoctrinate those with parental permission to take part in the tenets of their faith.

Since coming to office, the Minns government has dismissed the RSA’s concerns about the teaching of creationism and anti-science materials in Christian SRE, and the teaching of “hellfire” and uncompromising messages about friendships and identity in Islamic SRE.

Minister Car has continued to back SRE despite collapsing participation rates forcing many children to miss out on learning time and increasing demands for reform from key public education stakeholders.

The Rationalist Society of Australia is actively lobbying for secular reform of scripture programs in public schools. If you want to support our work, please make a donation or become a member.

Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.

Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash.