Mid Sussex Freethinkers

Forced worship to continue in New Zealand after religious protests

Trying to get religion out of schools is not an easy matter, as the government in New Zealand has recently discovered. There, the Ministry of Education has been forced to abandon plans to issue new guidelines on religious participation in schools after church leaders and educators created a widespread reaction to them.

Three weeks ago, a senior Ministry official flagged a move to an ‘opt in’ approach to consent for children to attend assemblies that include hymns and prayer. It meant parents would have to give advance written consent, rather than removing their children if they objected.

The idea was criticised by Anglican Archbishops, who say it would have been unnecessarily complex.

Terry Sanderson, vice president of the National Secular Society, said: “Religion is deeply entrenched in schools throughout the world. The proselytisers know this is the only way their beliefs can survive. They will do everything to keep their privileges in schools, particularly primary schools. We can see a similar desire to control the education system in Britain. Loosening the grip of the evangelists is a major challenge that will take generations to achieve especially while governments are controlled by politicians who are themselves enthusiastic religionists bent on spreading the world.”