Religious Indoctrination should not take place in public schools in New Zealand.

The Secular Education Network’s objectives are to promote an inclusive school curriculum that does not require any student to withdraw from class on account of different religious beliefs, to cease the practice of volunteer-run religious instruction during school hours, follow an objective, fair and balanced comparative syllabus for education about religions and beliefs and to treat all religious organisations who wish to use the school facilities outside of the school day with transparent and equitable policies.

All Children Deserve an Education in Values

The Secular Education Network has been established to support parents who believe that Values are important in the education of all our children. That Values education should be provided on a non discriminatory basis.

Values are important regardless of religion.

Many parents have been put in the position of deciding whether or not to allow their children to attend religious classes. These classes are designed to indoctrinate children with religious belief. They are often promoted to parents as ‘values classes’. The sectarian nature of these classes and the refusal of schools to conduct inclusive values classes is a poor example of the values they purportedly teach. Often this leaves parents with the impossible decision of allowing religious indoctrination and some teaching of values, or no instruction on values at all.

The purpose of the Secular Education Network is to promote the true separation of church and state; to give all faiths are equal treatment by the state. It is to ensure that all children are treated equally. It is to ensure that children are not excluded and segregated from their classmates because of decisions by schools to permit religious indoctrination. It is to ensure that children are given positive instruction in values, not ignored in libraries.