A Letter To The Editor – Geelong Advertiser May 8 2009
“Like 55% of her classmates, my daughter doesn't attend Religious Instruction at her State School. Instead, she is forced to academically twiddle her thumbs, while the remaining 45% receive RI. The State Government insists, that children not attending RI, receive no academic benefit during the RI Delivery time, effectively nullifying crucial learning opportunities, while treating highly skilled, and trained Primary and Secondary teachers, like baby sitters, forcing them to ‘supervise’ students, and not do what they are trained to do, and impart any new knowledge. Its time the State Government stopped pandering to Christian Religious Fundamentalists, and allowed Schools to develop their own Values and Ethics based Programs, as a substitute for Religious Instruction for those not wishing their kids to attend Evangelistic Indoctrination” - Stephen Dohl
Ethics And Values In Education is a Bellarine Peninsula based lobby group, formed by parents with grave concerns over issues surrounding how Religious Instruction in our state school system is being implemented, monitored, and legislated for, by the Victorian State Government. It seeks to lobby the State Government, religious groups, school councils, and other relevant authorities, to support EAVIE in seeking changes to the Victorian State Government, and Education Departments', Policy in regards to:
Granting authority to state schools, and school councils, to deem, and act upon, independent Religious Education needs, and all subsequent administration processes, including the parental right to Opt In, as opposed to the current Opt Out, of Religious Education.
Granting authority to state schools, and school councils, to create, or seek, and implement, and have teachers deliver, independent ethics and values based learning opportunities for Students not partaking in Religious Education.
The term ‘Religious Instruction’ being removed from The Education Reform Act of 2006.
The ability for lobby groups to have a voice in any granting of an extension of an Agreement between The State Government, and Access Ministries, to deliver Christian Religious Education in Victorian State Schools, due for its conclusion and review in 2012.
At EAVIE, we believe children have the right to, and the education system must maximize, and make provision for, every learning opportunity for the student while in the States care.
At EAVIE, we support the rights for schools, and their councils, to independently deal with issues surrounding a growing number of religious, and alternative, or non faith based parental demographics, and to develop or choose their own broad social responsibility alternatives for students not attending Religious Education.
At EAVIE, we believe that in a state school system, Religious Education should encompass a study of religion, from a cross faith, historical, and socially relevant, factual basis, and not an indoctrination into one particular faith.
At EAVIE, we believe that ethics, values, and social responsibility programs, are of a far greater academic, and social value, than the current Religious Instruction being offered.
At EAVIE, we believe in the right for teachers to teach.
At EAVIE, we believe in the right for Religious Institutions to exist.
For more information, and a more detailed explaination as to what, and why we are doing what we are doing, click here.
