Cowardice by Miles government
QCCL President Michael Cope, today said that the Council condemns the Miles government for its cowardly failure to implement its promise to end discrimination in schools.
Religious worship is essential to most people's lives. This is true for non-believers as well as believers once we recognize that freedom of religious worship includes the freedom not to worship.
Once we accept that proposition the only generally acceptable basis for freedom of worship is equal freedom for everybody. Each person when considering their own claim to be able to worship freely, would reject a proposal that gave them less freedom to do so then another person.
However, freedom of worship does not mean that believers or religious institutions are free to break laws of general application designed to protect the rights and interests of those outside the group. This principle comes into particular focus when the association provides services or goods to people outside the group. To allow associations operating outside the closed circumstances of their community to claim exemption from laws furthering equality would be to allow that association to impose their faith on others.
Religious educational institutions should not be allowed to discriminate against students (current or prospective) on the grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or relationship status, or pregnancy, or on the grounds that a family member or carer has one of those attributes.
Religious educational institutions should not be allowed to discriminate against any staff (current or prospective) on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or relationship status, or pregnancy.
Mr Cope said, “Schools of course should be entitled to insist that those who teach religion and engage in religious observance should be believers”.
As leaders of the institution the school should be entitled to insist that the Principal and Deputy are adherents. But beyond those categories[1] there is no justification for granting religious schools’ exemptions from general laws.
Mr Cope say, “The starting point must be that you don’t need to be a believer to teach mathematics. Religious affiliation or views are irrelevant to who is employed in school outside religious education classes, religious ceremonies and key leadership positions. The government is simply allowing religious groups to impose their views on others. This violates the principal of equality for all in worship.”
For further information contact Michael Cope President QCCL on 07 3223 5939 during office hours and at all times on 0432 847 154
17 June 2024
[1] And it is possible a case might be made for others having similar roles to be excluded that we have not thought of. But these give a clear indication of the types of position we have in mind, which we expect to be small in number.