Religion an issue at school

By REBECCA WALSH

Religious instruction is part of the weekly routine at more than half the country's state primary schools.

While some school boards believe it is up to parents to provide religious education, if they choose, an estimated 60 per cent of primary schools run religious instruction classes - about half an hour a week.

The classes are not part of the regular school day. Parents can withdraw their child and schools must provide supervision during that time.

At Mairangi Bay Primary School, on the North Shore, one out of 90 senior students does not attend the weekly class.

Principal Bruce Warren says the school's religious education programme aims to prepare children for a Christian-based society with Christian values.

The school has run the programme for more than 20 years and reviews it each year.

At Sunnynook Primary School, 20 of the 170 year 5 and year 6 students - mostly Arab pupils - do not attend.

At Verran School, there is no religious education.

The chairwoman of the school's board of trustees, Shayne Mathieson, says a parent survey found that most of them did not want it.

Some parents say it is up to families to provide religious instruction in the home. Others would be happy for their children to learn about religions and philosophies.

The Churches Education Commission provides religious education in 60 per cent of primary schools. Its coordinator, Hilary Baskerville, says it is Christian-based and attempts to link children's lives with stories from the Bible.

The commission represents 13 Christian denominations and it is against its code of ethics for its 4500 volunteer teachers to push any denomination or try to recruit children for their church.

She says there has been the odd grizzle from parents who question why their child should lose half an hour in the school day.

Schools consult their community before choosing to offer religious education and provide supervision for the half-hour period.

New Zealand schools, particularly those in Auckland, are faced with a diverse range of students from a mix of cultures and religious backgrounds.

While schools have been set up to cater for students with faiths other than Christianity, state schools have had to learn to adapt to meet the different needs.

Some schools have modified uniforms to include longer skirts for Muslim girls, whose faith requires them to cover up, or have made space for students to pray during the day.

The principal of Hamilton's Fraser High School, Martin Elliott, says that last year the school was worried when Muslim students who were studying for exams were also fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

"It's their choice but we were conscious they were fasting during an exam period. We tried to talk with people about it but it's a conflict of values.

"We were quite worried as kids need to be at peak performance at exam time."