Backing down on secularism

The Ministry of Education has backed away from its new guidelines on religion in schools, after pressure from Anglican Bishops. naturally, the god-botherers in United Future are applauding, as are the conservatives in National. Both argue that this is a matter best left up to Boards of Trustees and local communities - but I suspect they'd feel rather differently about the matter if a local Board was forcing every student to participate in a Black Mass at assembly. They also claim that there is currently no problem. I think that Asher's experience alone suggests that there is. Students in our schools are being forced to participate in religious observances of the majority religion - and that is a flagrant breach of the freedom of religion, conscience and belief affirmed in the Bill of Rights Act.

As for what can be done about it, I have no doubt that a bill introducing secular secondary education by making secondary schools subject to the same regime as primary schools would win majority support in Parliament (if National allowed its MPs a conscience vote). All we need is for someone to put it in the ballot...