The legislation passed the upper house! Ethics classes are protected by law!

[Hear Mum Roar]

Wooo hoo!:D

[BlueDevil]

Excellent news! Hope it is 'water tight'!

Also hope it eventually flows on to other states.

[Spud Henley]

Is that the upper house of the federal government or just NSW government?

[Hear Mum Roar]

It appears to be, Blue Devil:)

Spud, I am terrible when it comes to explaining politics, so I don't actually know. But here's the quote from Verity Firth's facebook 'like' page:

Ethics is now enshrined in NSW Law! The vote was 20 to 15 in the Upper House, with Labor voting in favour and the Opposition voting against. Please continue to sign the pledge in support of Ethics to keep the pressure on the Opposition. Thanks to everyone for your support!


If I'm able to find out, I'll of course share it, or if someone else knows, by all means please share:)

I sincerely hope this is just the start for the others Oz states who face the same problem

[Hear Mum Roar]

Oops! It's right there in my quote, doh!:rolleyes:

Upper house. I'm using my migraine as my excuse for overlooking that. :o

[Hear Mum Roar]

Ok, and looking back, clearly I didn't even interpret your question properly, Spud, LOL. I'm so sorry, my ability to read is pretty badly impacted when I have a migraine, and I'm still just coming down from it.

But I did find this link:

http://verityfirth.com/2010/11/ethics-legislation-now-enshrined-in-nsw-law/

[BlueDevil]

Is that the upper house of the federal government or just NSW government?

This is just state legislation isn't it? So I'm guessing it wouldn't relate to the upper house of the federal government. (But I am not particularly astute when it comes to politics so take that with a grain of salt)

[Spud Henley]

Good thing for NSW, About bloody time. I'm hoping this catches on and the other states join in soon enough.

[Hear Mum Roar]

Spud, you're looking more astute than me right now, so I really wouldn't sweat it:D

But yes, this is a state law.

[Hear Mum Roar]

Hmm, I was meant to be in the Sunday Telegraph this weekend about this issue, this probably means I won't be now LOL

[Xeno]

It is a State issue and therefore appropriately State law. The Federal government could do nothing about it without tying grants in a possibly unconstitutional fashion, or getting State agreement anyway.

[Hear Mum Roar]

Yes. I know some states don't even have SRE in public schools, and some do.

[Logic please]

Thanks for the post HMR, that is excellent news.

As far as "watertight" goes, the only things preventing the Opposition from repealing or amending the law, if (once?) they get into power, are the Upper House (ie: if they don't have control of it), and/or public pressure. Hence the need to continue to keep all politicians aware of the views and votes of the non-religious on this matter.

You can bet that the SRE brigade will only look on this as a temporary setback, and will continue to faithfully pursue the case for SRE, on behalf of their chosen imaginary sky-fairy. :rolleyes:

Because, despite claimed omnipotence and omniscience, the sky-fairy clearly can't do this alone, on their own behalf. :p

[Sir Patrick Crocodile]

A step forward, now let's hope that it doesn't go backwards. I wonder if this is what Julia Gillard was talking about when she was referring to moving forward.

[Darwinsbulldog]

Forgive my cynicism, but when has the law stopped the woo brigade from getting their own way? Churches and priests enjoy more immunity from the law than foreign diplomats!
A positive step yes, but no rapture please.

[RealityRules]

Great news !! Would be good to see the wording ..

Wonder if it is changed from here

The legislation is very simple.

It adds a new section 33A

33A Special education in ethics as secular alternative to special religious education

It states

(1) Special education in ethics is allowed as a secular alternative to special religious education at government schools.

(2) If the parent of a child objects to the child receiving special religious education, the child is entitled to receive special education in ethics, but only if:
(a) it is reasonably practicable for special education in ethics to be made available to the child at the government school, and
(b) the parent requests that the child receive special education in ethics.
(3) A government school cannot be directed (by the Minister or otherwise) not to make special education in ethics available at the school.

http://parents4ethics.org/2010/11/27/verity-firths-speech-to-parliament/

.


Its intention is to enshrine the right to a secular ethics course for those parents who have chosen that their children not attend scripture and to prevent this choice being taken from them unnecessarily.

Section 33A (1) allows for special education in Ethics as a secular alternative to SRE.

Section 33A (2) states that if parents choose that their children do not attend SRE they are entitled to special education in ethics.

Section 33A (2) a and b specify the circumstances under which special education in ethics can occur

Section 33A (3) speaks for itself. .. It prevents an Education Minister from vetoing the legitimate choice of NSW parents in relation to a public school’s delivery of special education in ethics.

[Praxis]

This is wonderful news :)

[Mundo Pablo]

I was writing to my local (State) Liberal MP about this, when the news came through that the greens would support the bill to get it through quick. I wrote to him anyway, added the religious right leaning, lately of the coalition as a serious concern as well. They will need an act of parliment to back track this legislation.

[Loki]

Does this now mean there will be three possibilities, all of which could occur in the same school at the same time?


SRE classes.
Ethics classes for those whose parents have specifically requested them.
Thumb-twiddling for those whose parents have opted-out of SRE but not specifically opted-in to ethics.

Seems a little like one step forwards and two steps to the side.

[Xeno]

I think schools might take a strong interest in telling parents to choose 1 or 2, discouraging the notion 3 is an option unless it is forced upon them.

[Mundo Pablo]

Loki, here in NSW the trials were so succesful parents were taking kids out of SRE and requesting the new ethics classes. (maybe the kids wanted to change with their friends) Anyhow, purhaps this is why the Anglicans are so pissed?

[DanDare]

Excellent result. Now if we can get the word "secular" back into the Education Queensland Act we can then try and get Ethics classes as an alternative to SRE in up here as well.

[Made Of Stars]

This is a great result, and kudos to Labor and the Greens.

I wonder how well it'll be able to roll out given the short timeframe until school restarts?

[Xeno]

MoS: I wrote again to Teresa at SJEC. Apparently they are developing a process for approaching schools and offering services, together with training. Meanwhile, the Dept of Education is writing to all schools, probably by this week, and the next step will be for volunteers to approach schools directly.

I might choose a catholic one. :cool:

[Darwinsbulldog]

This is a great result, and kudos to Labor and the Greens.

I wonder how well it'll be able to roll out given the short timeframe until school restarts?
Star Poo, u need to get a less busy job so u can hang around here more mate! :p:p;)

[bruce1937]

MoS: I wrote again to Teresa at SJEC. Apparently they are developing a process for approaching schools and offering services, together with training. Meanwhile, the Dept of Education is writing to all schools, probably by this week, and the next step will be for volunteers to approach schools directly.

I might choose a catholic one. :cool:


That is something I had not considered, wouldn't that piss them off, especially if a student requested it.
But I suppose that as they are private schools they do not have to take any notice of this law.

[Xeno]

But I suppose that as they are private schools they do not have to take any notice of this law.Allowing that I was joking, I don't know the answer to that question.

[Made Of Stars]

Star Poo, u need to get a less busy job so u can hang around here more mate! :p:p;)
Ha! Or better still a less busy job so I can teach ethics classes at my boys' school. :)

But seriously, I had my EOY review today, and my boss asked if they'd broken me yet...

See you in another week. :p

[Made Of Stars]

MoS: I wrote again to Teresa at SJEC. Apparently they are developing a process for approaching schools and offering services, together with training. Meanwhile, the Dept of Education is writing to all schools, probably by this week, and the next step will be for volunteers to approach schools directly.

I might choose a catholic one. :cool:

Teresa's great. :) And thanks for the info. I'd love to rock up to the Angrican school up the road and offer to volunteer, but somehow I doubt that they'll be up for 'teaching the controversy'. :D

[Xeno]

They are late getting it up but here is the web site: Primary Ethics (http://www.primaryethics.com.au/)

[66 vegie]

It's great news for us..for now.