Frustrated with Australian public school system.

[Sectio Aurea]

When my wife enrolled our daugter in to a public school here in Australia she was asked to fill in an enrollment form which had an option to allow permission for my daughter to attend religious instruction(RI)
Being an atheist and having recently moved from New Zealand (with a secular public education system) we found this option unusual and unnecessary so she marked no RI on the enrollment form.
The principle was surprised and raised this point with my wife, to which she confirmed.


After a few weeks our daughter came home with a bible telling us that she was included in every RI class since she started.

I rang the principle advising him that we had requested no RI both in writing and verbally (with him he couldn't remember) and requested again please no RI for her.

He apologised and promised me us it would not happen again.

It did happen again, on no less than six occasions.

We sought legal advise and had a letter sent to the principle, the following week our daughter came home crying because she had been excluded from RE, and was placed in a small room upstairs to study math with a muslim and an Indian girl (Hindu?) She said they were unattended and felt left out because everyone else was downstairs.

I expected many more than 3 out of 70 to be excluded from RI.

So I decided RI is probably the lesser of the "two evils" (forgive my poor choice of words) and gave my daughter written permission to attend RI again so she could be back with her friends.

I feel as though the school is ostracising these students and breaking the law by using the cover of RI as an opportunity to preach Christianity.

I am frustrated that Christianity is forced on children in public schools and feel this is wrong. The government rules state no particular religion is allowed to be preached yet that is exactly what they are doing.

We do not want our daughter to be ostracized again yet we don't want Christianity (or any other religion) forced on her either.


What do I do?

 

[texastig]

Although I disagree with you about Christianity being forced on kids, you are the parents and school must abide by your wishes. Do you all have a school board that you can go to like we have here in America?

 

[madaz]

Although I disagree with you about Christianity being forced on kids,

If you requested no religious education for your child and they came home telling you all about Mohammed and Allah and showed you the Quran and the doctines they were taught and told you how no other religions were being explored how would you not see that as Islam being forced on your kids?

 

[Sectio Aureo]

Although I disagree with you about Christianity being forced on kids, you are the parents and school must abide by your wishes. Do you all have a school board that you can go to like we have here in America?

Christianity is being forced on kids, how do you disagree? Nice user name btw.

 

[madaz]

When my wife enrolled our daugter in to a public school here in Australia she was asked to fill in an enrollment form which had an option to allow permission for my daughter to attend religious instruction(RI)
Being an atheist and having recently moved from New Zealand (with a secular public education system) we found this option unusual and unnecessary so she marked no RI on the enrollment form.
The principle was surprised and raised this point with my wife, to which she confirmed.


After a few weeks our daughter came home with a bible telling us that she was included in every RI class since she started.

I rang the principle advising him that we had requested no RI both in writing and verbally (with him he couldn't remember) and requested again please no RI for her.

He apologised and promised me us it would not happen again.

It did happen again, on no less than six occasions.

We sought legal advise and had a letter sent to the principle, the following week our daughter came home crying because she had been excluded from RE, and was placed in a small room upstairs to study math with a muslim and an Indian girl (Hindu?) She said they were unattended and felt left out because everyone else was downstairs.

I expected many more than 3 out of 70 to be excluded from RI.

So I decided RI is probably the lesser of the "two evils" (forgive my poor choice of words) and gave my daughter written permission to attend RI again so she could be back with her friends.

I feel as though the school is ostracising these students and breaking the law by using the cover of RI as an opportunity to preach Christianity.

I am frustrated that Christianity is forced on children in public schools and feel this is wrong. The government rules state no particular religion is allowed to be preached yet that is exactly what they are doing.

We do not want our daughter to be ostracized again yet we don't want Christianity (or any other religion) forced on her either.


What do I do?

Go here Fairness In Religions In School and sign up. There are thousands of other parents having the same problem as you. Please donate to help the cause. We are taking legal action against these mongrels in Victoria and Queensland. FYI Backlash as God forced into schools

 

[Spiritlight]

Is there an advantage in shielding your child from any education? Many christian parents dislike evolutionry theory as it for them contradicts creation theory, so they have to put up with the secularists and scientists pushing that down thier throats.

Given an education and learning a child can at least make an informed choice.

The thing is we dont really get to live our children's lives for them. My daughter attends a christian school and we go to church but I encourage her to also seek secular non christian things like radio and books. She hears some swearing occasionally on the radio but she is 12 and not dumb, she knows whats going on, no use pretending life is different than it is.

Most modern laws and traditions mostly originated in Christianity, it cant hurt to know it can it?


ther is worse things to be than a christian. She could be drunk and pregnant at 15 following her non christian friends to pubs instead of hanging out at youth groups at church and being a kid. Thats their future now they all binge drink on red bull and vodka.

I grew up in an atheist family and they liked me going to a youth group i found as it sheltered me from teenage silliness and they knew where I was and was having more fun than my mates on weed.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Is there an advantage in shielding your child from any education? .

No, I want my children to have religious education, I just do not want them indoctrinated in to any particular religion.

Many christian parents dislike evolutionry theory as it for them contradicts creation theory, so they have to put up with the secularists and scientists pushing that down thier throats..

Shame on those parents, I know many religious parent's dislike the truth, but we must give our children the truth not lies. Teaching evolution is like teaching math, its not pushed down their throats, it is a normal part of teaching.

Given an education and learning a child can at least make an informed choice..

I wholeheartedly agree, however the public schools are only obligated to teach about various religion's, not indoctrinate into one exclusive religion.

The thing is we dont really get to live our children's lives for them. My daughter attends a christian school and we go to church but I encourage her to also seek secular non christian things like radio and books. She hears some swearing occasionally on the radio but she is 12 and not dumb, she knows whats going on, no use pretending life is different than it is.


Most modern laws and traditions mostly originated in Christianity, it cant hurt to know it can it?.

Please give some examples of these traditions and laws that originated from christianity?

ther is worse things to be than a christian. She could be drunk and pregnant at 15 following her non christian friends to pubs instead of hanging out at youth groups at church and being a kid. Thats their future now they all binge drink on red bull and vodka.

I grew up in an atheist family and they liked me going to a youth group i found as it sheltered me from teenage silliness and they knew where I was and was having more fun than my mates on weed.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with being a christian, I'm saying its wrong to force public school children in to a religion, especially when the government set guidlines to prevent such events from happening and the parent's opted that child out.

 

[Spiritlight]

Sure our law system partly evolved from the 10 commandments thou shall not kill, steal etc, they formed the cornerstone of it.

There is christmas and easter and the story behind those from a christian point of view (its ok I know it has pagan and retail iinfluences too).

7 day week was because of jewish law in the bible and Gods creation of the earth in 7 days. Saturday = sabbath day in the old testament.


the other thing is common knowledge stories everyone knows..
Adam and Eve, Noahs Arc, Birth of Jesus from a virgin, Ten commandments and Moses. Its pretty basic stuff most people know even if they reject its accuracy. you are definitely at an advantage if you know things others dont.

Hope that helps anyway, I think its pretty harmless kids having moral education of some degree, they dont have much of it anymore.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Sure our law system partly evolved from the 10 commandments thou shall not kill, steal etc, they formed the cornerstone of it..

Commandments not to kill, steal etc were cornerstones of civilizations and societies long before the advent of christianity.

There is christmas and easter and the story behind those from a christian point of view (its ok I know it has pagan and retail iinfluences too)..

Christmas and easter celebration's long precede christianity, christianity adopted these traditions and re-named them christmas and easter.

7 day week was because of jewish law in the bible and Gods creation of the earth in 7 days. Saturday = sabbath day in the old testament..

The 7 day week was adopted by christianity from earlier religions.

the other thing is common knowledge stories everyone knows..
Adam and Eve, Noahs Arc, Birth of Jesus from a virgin, Ten commandments and Moses. Its pretty basic stuff most people know even if they reject its accuracy. you are definitely at an advantage if you know things others dont..

These traditions you mention above pre-date christianity, creation myths and virgin births, moral commandments etc were adopted by christianity which put its own "spin" on them.

Hope that helps anyway, I think its pretty harmless kids having moral education of some degree, they dont have much of it anymore.

You said most traditions and laws originated from christianity, but you havent provided a single example at all.
The morality of christianity is also very debatable so I think a moral education is probably best given by secular chaplains.

 

[Spiritlight]

Commandments not to kill, steal etc were cornerstones of civilizations and societies long before the advent of christianity.



Christmas and easter celebration's long precede christianity, christianity adopted these traditions and re-named them christmas and easter.



The 7 day week was adopted by christianity from earlier religions.




These traditions you mention above pre-date christianity, creation myths and virgin births, moral commandments etc were adopted by christianity which put its own "spin" on them.



You said most traditions and laws originated from christianity, but you havent provided a single example at all.
The morality of christianity is also very debatable so I think a moral education is probably best given by secular chaplains.

Ok dude so you dont like christianity dont send them there... it sounds have already made your decision, I am sure not talking you into it, it makes no difference to me!

sorry I dont do the debating thing on forums, its a big time waster. Il have a friendly chat and thats about it.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Ok dude so you dont like christianity dont send them there...

I like christianity, and this is a public school, its almost right next door, why should I send them elsewhere, this is happening in hundreds probably thousands of public schools.

it sounds have already made your decision, I am sure not talking you into it, it makes no difference to me!

What decision?

sorry I dont do the debating thing on forums, its a big time waster. Il have a friendly chat and thats about it.

Sorry I didn't realise I was debating, you made a statement which wasn't true so I had to clarify it. In my opinion seeking truth from common misconceptions is worthy time not wasted time. I didn't mean to be argumentative, I would expect you to correct me also.

 

[Spiritlight]

g, you made a statement which wasn't true so I had to clarify it. In my opinion seeking truth from common misconceptions is worthy time not wasted time. I didn't mean to be argumentative, I would expect you to correct me also.

I tend to let people think what they want because there is no harm in that and life will sort out if they are correct or not.

I get a feeling talking to many atheists that they stubbornly will not change any of their thinking just like many of us Christians. It has been my experience from many people before yourself that discussion with such opposing beliefs ends up in frustration for us both. These forums can be a bad trap for that. it wasn't your fault what I said before.

I worked out its easier not to go there for me. I accept your beliefs and dont feel the need to change you at all I was just trying to give a bit of advice for the kids.

Peace

 

[Sectio Aurea]

I tend to let people think what they want because there is no harm in that and life will sort out if they are correct or not.

I'm sorry but I have personally witnessed harm from belief in lies, and truth given by other people is one of life's ways of "sorting it" or making it right. I have a natural tendency to seek the truth and its wrong of me to expect others to think the same way. Please forgive me.

I get a feeling talking to many atheists that they stubbornly will not change any of their thinking just like many of us Christians.

Almost all of the atheists here on CF are agnostic atheists (like myself) so I doubt you are referring to anyone here are you?

It has been my experience from many people before yourself that discussion with such opposing beliefs ends up in frustration for us both. These forums can be a bad trap for that. it wasn't your fault what I said before.

I don't want to challenge your beliefs and I dont want to frustrate you. I just thought I was doing the right thing, once again please forgive me.

I worked out its easier not to go there for me. I accept your beliefs and dont feel the need to change you at all I was just trying to give a bit of advice for the kids.

I haven't told you any of my beliefs so I'm not sure exactly what belief of mine you are accepting.

and dont feel the need to change you at all I was just trying to give a bit of advice for the kids.

What was the advice for my kids?

Peace

And peace to you my Ozzie brother.