The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli to commit to moving the Religious Instruction (RI) program to outside school hours if elected to government later this year.
In a letter to Mr Crisafulli (see below), RSA’s Executive Director Si Gladman said RI was a major disruption for public school communities and privileged classroom access by religious organisations over the learning needs of Queensland’s children.
He said the Liberal-National Party, if in government, should move RI classes to before or after school, or to during lunchtime.
“The program interrupts professional teachers and precious learning time, and leaves a significant and increasing number of children having to find other non-curricular activities,” he wrote.
“Treating RI as an elective by moving it to out-of-class hours would still give parents the choice of enlisting their children in the program but would have the additional benefit of honouring the choices of other parents who do not want their children’s learning disrupted.
“Will you reform the RI program to, at a minimum, move these classes to be held outside normal learning hours?”
Mr Gladman noted that Queenslanders were disturbed to learn that RI instructors were using their access to state schools as a “mission field” to “harvest” children and “disciple” them “for the Lord”.
Major public schools stakeholders such as the Queensland Association of State School Principals have been calling for RI to be moved to before school, lunchtimes or after school, but the state Labor government has refused to make reforms.
In January this year, the RSA wrote to the new Premier Steven Miles and new education minister Dr Farmer to urge them to act on the issue, but has not received a reply.
Last year, a member of the Christian Right in the LNP, Mark Robinson, used a speech to parliament to urge Minister Grace to “hold the line against the current attacks” and “keep RI”.
Mr Gladman also asked Mr Crisifulli whether the LNP would commit to modernising the Standing Orders in the next parliament to replace the exclusionary Christian prayer ritual with something more appropriate and reflective of Queensland’s diverse community.
Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
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Image: David Crisafulli MP (Facebook)
Letter to David Crisafulli, 27 May 2024
Dear Mr Crisafulli,
I’m writing on behalf of the Rationalist Society of Australia, Australia’s oldest freethought group promoting evidence-based policy, secularism and reason. Many of our members and supporters are based in Queensland.
In the lead-up to the Queensland state election, we want to know whether the Liberal-National Party, if elected to power, would commit to the following reforms.
Religious Instruction (RI) program
RI is a major disruption for public school communities, privileging classroom access by religious organisations over the learning needs of Queensland’s children.
The program interrupts professional teachers and precious learning time, and leaves a significant and increasing number of children having to find other non-curricular activities.
RI classes should be held outside normal learning hours – such as before or after school, or during lunchtime.
Treating RI as an elective by moving it to out-of-class hours would still give parents the choice of enlisting their children in the program but would have the additional benefit of honouring the choices of other parents who do not want their children’s learning disrupted. This would bring Queensland into line with best practice interstate.
We believe the reform would be popular with Queensland voters, who were disturbed to learn that RI instructors use their access to state schools as a “mission field” to “harvest” children and “disciple” them “for the Lord”.
The Queensland Association of State School Principals is calling for RI to be moved to before school, lunchtimes or after school. The association’s president Pat Murphy told ABC last year that declining participation rates in RI and the overcrowding pressures with the curriculum necessitated reform.
Will you reform the RI program to, at a minimum, move these classes to be held outside normal learning hours?
Prayers in parliament
In the next Queensland Parliament, elected representatives will have an opportunity to make the parliament truly reflective of the community’s diversity and welcoming for all citizens.
The current practice of reciting Christian prayers at the start of each day is exclusionary and sends a message to many Queenslanders that they are not welcome in the state’s parliament.
Census figures show that a rapidly declining percentage of citizens identify as Christian. According to the 2021 Census – which used a biased religion question that presumed all respondents had a religion – 41 per cent of Queenslanders identified as not religious or another secular affiliation. ‘No Religion’ is on track to overtake Christianity at the 2026 Census. Significant numbers of Queenslanders also identify as non-Christian faiths.
The parliament should be the most secular and welcoming of institutions in the state, with no particular religious worldview privileged and imposed on people of different backgrounds. Asking elected representatives – and staff and members of the public in attendance – to observe an outdated ritual of Christian worship at the opening of each day is neither secular nor welcoming of all Queenslanders. It is inappropriate in modern-day Queensland.
Will you commit to modernising the Standing Orders in the next parliament to replace the exclusionary Christian prayer ritual with something more appropriate and reflective of Queensland’s diverse community?
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Si Gladman,
Executive Director,
Rationalist Society of Australia