GROWTH OF FAITH BASED SCHOOLS SAID TO THREATEN SOCIAL COHESION OF THE NATION

From the Australian Prayer Network Newsletter

March 11, 2008

(Editors Comments: The thrust of the following story is of significant concern to Christians coming as the comments do from the recently appointed head of the National Curriculum Board. It is likely to reflect the policy directions of the new Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and should be a matter of ongoing prayer by all who have an interest in maintaining a ongoing Christian influence in our eduction system)

The rapid growth of faith-based schools under the previous federal government has threatened the social cohesion of the nation, according to Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard's most senior education adviser.

The frank comments of Professor Barry McGaw, appointed to be the new head of the National Curriculum Board, contrast with the Howard government's celebration of the proliferation of small independent schools, encouraged by generous public funding. "These people often form a narrowly focused school that is aimed at cementing the faith it's based on . If we continue as we are, I think we'll just become more and more isolated sub-groups in our community," Professor McGaw said.

His comments are likely to worry the independent sector because the Government is reviewing the funding model, which Professor McGaw said had created the "worst of all worlds". Professor McGaw's remarks reflect a profound shift in education in the past two decades, with more than 200,000 children - almost 40% of non-government school students - now attending a religious school outside the main Catholic, Anglican and Uniting systems.

The change has meant that, for instance, increasing numbers of children are taught creationism as part of their science classes. And despite mainstream health experts arguing for a "harm minimisation" approach to sex education, many emphasise abstinence until marriage, asking students to sign "pledges" to remain virgins.

But the schools, say they offer a choice in education. The principal of Chairo Christian School in Drouin Victoria, Rob Bray, said that both evolution and creationism were taught in his school's science class. "We don't hide the fact that there is a theory of evolution, and that's how we'd present it, as a theory," Mr Bray said. "We teach it, explain what it is, and at the same time present clearly and fairly, and we believe convincingly, the fact that our position as a school is that God created the heaven and earth . There wouldn't be any point of being a faith-based school if we didn't think that God was the creator."

Under Victorian law, it is not compulsory for private schools to teach evolution, though it is recommended in the curriculum. In NSW evolution is a compulsory part of the syllabus.  Universities report that the number of biology students holding strong creationist viewpoints had grown in recent years. "There's been a big move, big gains made by the creationist movement in the last five or six years," he said. The two largest Christian school lobby groups, Christian Schools Australia and Christian Parent Controlled Schools, assert that God is the creator. Between them they represent 240 schools Australia-wide.

In the sex education curriculum, some Christian schools have adopted an abstinence-based program called "No Apologies", which highlights the dangers of sexual activity and encourages students to sign a pledge to remain virgins until marriage. Chairo Christian College uses the program, which has been taught to 5000 people in the past 3½ years. Faith-based schools say they also vet staff to make sure they are leading a "Christian lifestyle," and some say they would sack a teacher who admitted to being homosexual.

Source: Compiled by APN from media reports