Ethics classes: the battle for children’s hearts and minds in NSW

• with a Christian name and Anglican origins;
• claims it is secular;
• but disavows links with any secular organisation;
• while being funded by presumably very wealthy Christians;
• is running a trial of secular ethics in state schools;
• as an alternative to religious instruction.

Get it?

It grows more bizarre by the minute with the Catholic Church first opposing the courses then arguing that Catholic kids should have the opportunity to attend it. (“Catholics try new tack in ethics row”, Sydney Morning Herald, June 8, 2010).

But the Catholics, for once, may have stumbled across this stuff called “reason”. It’s not a bad idea that kids should think about appropriate ways to behave in tricky situations, or to apply the golden rule (long devised before Christians came on the scene) that it’s preferable to treat others as you would prefer to be treated yourself. With bullying a serious problem in our schools, some workshops in primary schools with a well thought out curriculum is a good idea.

It’s just that it should be integrated into the general curriculum itself, not as a stand alone alternative to religious education. The point is there should be no Special Religious Education in state schools at all.

That hour is a hangover from the 19th century. It is a total breach of the principle of separation of church and state. It was a trade-off to placate the churches when they lost control of their access to the hearts and minds of children in the new secular school system (with Queensland the exception: see backintheact.com).

The peculiar “secular” SJEC is trying to tweak the theocratic establishment that continues to intimidate NSW’s quasi-theocratic government in the hope of helping kids. As noted above, they obviously didn’t know what they were dealing with. But, win, lose or draw, it’s been fun. Bring on the next exciting episode.