The definitive exposé of a national disgrace: Julia Gillard's born-again National School Chaplaincy Program. This 15 minute movie is a tortuous, terrifying journey through garbled, gobbledygook guidelines craftily concocted by Peter Garrett's spinners and weavers of weasel words. How can this be happening?—we don't know!
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh May 2010
Extract from June 15th 2009 letter to the ASL from Qld Education Minister Geoff Wilson:
"The administration of religious education [sic] is governed by my Department’s policy, Religious Instruction in School Hours. While this policy (and other departmental policies) is constantly being reviewed, the government currently has no plans to re-introduce the word ‘secular’ into legislation."
Current Press Release December 3, 2009
SENATE MISLED.. TAXPAYERS CONNED.. 'WOW' SAYS MEL ON SUNRISE
While the Australian Secular Lobby advocates for the distinct separation of Church and State in each State and Territory within Australia, our initial campaign will be focused upon the non-secular, theocratic Queensland State education system and its governing Education Act. When introduced in 1875, the Queensland Education Act guaranteed a free and secular education for every child. A controversial referendum in 1910 sanctioned the following:
- The State Schoolmaster, in school hours, teaches selected Bible lessons from a reading book provided for the purpose, but is not allowed to give sectarian teaching
- Any minister of religion is entitled, in school hours, to give the children of his own denomination an hour's religious instruction on such day or days as the school committee can arrange for
To accommodate the above, in 1910 the Queensland Education Act was amended. Every occurrence of the word 'secular' was deleted, along with the following clause as it appeared in the Queensland Education Act of 1875:
During the succeeding one hundred years, particularly within the past decade, the 1910 Queensland Education Act amendment has led to the outrageous circumstances described at the website of an associate organisation, The 4th R.
Bible lessons (from the 'Good News' Bible) in school hours by Education Queensland staff teachers are built-into the Queensland Education Act with a curriculum covering Year 1 to Year 7. Creationism and 'Intelligent Design' are permitted to be, and are being included in the Queensland State school curriculum at any grade level.
2010 will be the centenary year of Queensland's non-secular, theocratic public education system. Co-ordinating with associated organisations and bodies, the ASL will in the coming months commence campaigning to have the Queensland Education Act restored to its pre 1910 state.
Chaplaincy
The word ‘chaplain’ or any reference to ‘chaplaincy’ does not appear anywhere within Queensland Education law. However, state school chaplaincy is inextricably intertwined with 1910 legislated Religious Instruction (RI).
This includes all chaplaincy arrangements throughout Queensland funded by the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP).
Procrastination by the State
The 1989 Education Act provided the legal basis for the appointment of Chaplains in Queensland state schools. In this Act, school chaplaincy was permitted as an approved religious activity that takes place in a state school. The Education (General Provisions) Act, 1989, section 30, and its accompanying regulations (Part IV), made provisions for RE [sic] in terms of “right of entry” instruction by denominational representatives, selected Bible lessons by class teachers in primary and special schools, and alternative instruction for students withdrawn from these activities. These provisions were, in essence, the same as in the State Education Acts (Amendment Act) of 1910. The Department of Education Manual outlined policy and procedures for the implementation of the 1989 provisions as well as “other activities related to religion that may take place in state schools”. These other activities included school chaplaincy.
Salecich, J., 2001. Chaplaincy in Queensland State Schools: An Investigation.
Thesis, (PHD). University of Queensland
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