Comments on: Contact Details

By: senadmin

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 23:45:51 +0000

Thanks for your comment. It is great to hear that a lot of schools are moving to a more inclusive model and removing Religious Instruction from class time. Our organisation is run by volunteers and the information we have linked to is the only data available on the running of Religious Instruction in New Zealand primary schools. We would prefer that this data was available from the Ministry of Education, but so far they have declined to provide it. If we have enough volunteers available we will be updating the survey in early 2016. In the meantime, I will ask the volunteer who has provided the information to note that Haumoana school are no longer running Religious Instruction.

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By: Haumoana Principal

Sun, 09 Aug 2015 01:51:20 +0000

Please remove Haumoana School from your outdated data sheet. Our school does not have Religious Instruction and has not done so for a few years. To have this outdated information in the public domain has the potential to cause unnecessary concern. When surveyed we clearly explained our BOT was currently reviewing provision through a community survey and would act accordingly.
Perhaps you could extend all schools the courtesy of a review of information.

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By: Ali Wegner

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 05:36:17 +0000

Hi Tanya,

I saw the clip on the Sunday programme and really identify with your struggle.

Our children (now grown) attended school in Christchurch and we had the same concerns about wanting them out of religious education.

My husband and I went to school in the US where there is a clear separation between church and state and we were shocked that was not the case when we moved to NZ.

We strongly believe that public education should be strictly about socializing future citizens as to their rights and responsibilities within a humanistic society and that content should be completely secular and based on well-grounded information and research. Furthermore, our school populations are now diverse and religious education, of any sort, is not appropriate or relevant.

Please let me know how I can help. We completely support you in this action.

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By: Kit Wilson

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 07:36:24 +0000

Just watched the piece on the Sunday programme. It would appear nothing has changed since our son was in primary school three decades ago. We went through the same situation, with the same indifference shown by our local state primary school and the same ‘rogue’ religious instructors. In the first week of school our son came home in tears, convinced that we were going to hell. This raises the obvious question, how many of these people, are there, and why can’t the providers of so called ‘values programmes’ identify them? ( And why, as parents, should we even be having to ask these questions?)

These programmes have no place in the so called multicultural society we aspire to be

Great to see this issue being taken to the High Court. All strength to you, and congratulations on your effort and tenacity.

Regards

Kit Wilson & Sue Baker Wilson

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By: Heather Mackay

Sat, 15 Feb 2014 23:19:44 +0000

Dear David, Peter et al, well done indeed for your recent conquest at St Heliers school.

My own chn are now in their 40s but made a nuisance of myself and I insisted that they be excluded from the religious instruction. I offered to supervise exclued chn every Thurs so that they wouldn’t cause an inconvenience to teachers’ time off!!

During my teaching years I also ensured that at least my class were aware that bible instruction was NOT compulsory as their parents had been mislead into thinking… schools use an “economy of facts” to mislead parents. Once again making a nuisance of myself but once again offering to supervise excluded chn while the others enjoyed their “time off”.

Some people have wryly commented that the best way of disabusing chn from joining a religion is to expose them to the bible-in-schools weekly session

Regards Heather

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