ATTENTION PARENTS
'OPT OUT' is a myth! click here to view/download your rights
If you have not provided a religion on your child's enrolment form (over 80% of Qld parents), by law, your child must not be placed in religious instruction without your signed authority. Your child must be placed in a separate location during religious instruction. Also, by law, Religious Instruction is strictly prohibited for all children in Prep year.
Please report any abuse of the Education Act to spel@secularpubliceducation.com
Below is all reference to Religious Instruction and Bible Lessons contained within the currently in force Queensland Education (General Provisions) Act & Regulation 2006:
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006
Reprinted as in force on 1 July 2009 Reprint No. 2C
Chapter 5 Religious instruction
76 Religious instruction in school hours
(1) Any minister of a religious denomination or society, or an accredited representative of a religious denomination or society, which representative has been approved by the Minister for the purpose, shall be entitled during school hours to give to the students in attendance at a State school who are members of the denomination or society of which the person is a minister or the accredited representative religious instruction in accordance with regulations prescribed in that behalf during a period not exceeding 1 hour in each week on such day as the principal of that school appoints.
(2) Instruction in accordance with a regulation may be given in State primary and special schools during school hours in selected Bible lessons.
(3) A separate reading book shall be provided for such purpose.
(4) Instruction of a kind mentioned in subsection (2) is not to include any teaching in the distinctive tenets or doctrines of any religious denomination, society or sect.
(5) Notwithstanding anything in this section, any parent of a student in attendance at a State school may withdraw such student from all religious instruction in such school by notification in writing to the principal that the parent desires the student to be so withdrawn.
(6) The provisions pursuant to this section shall not apply or extend to students enrolled in the preparatory year at a State school.
Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006
Reprint 3 effective 1 January 2009
Part 5 Religious instruction
25 Application for approval of representative
An application under section 76(1) of the Act for approval as an accredited representative must be in writing.
26 Approval to be produced
If asked by the principal of a State school, an accredited representative at the State school must produce an approval given to the representative under section 76(1) of the Act.
27 Authorised religious instruction
A minister of religion or an accredited representative may give only religious instruction approved by the religious denomination or religious society the minister or accredited representative represents.
28 Time for religious instruction
The principal of a State school must fix the day on which religious instruction is given each week.
29 Students to attend religious instruction
(1) The principal of a State school must not allow a student to attend religious instruction given by a minister of religion or an accredited representative other than the denomination or society of which the student is a member, unless the student’s parent has given written consent.
(2) However, students may attend classes arranged for students of more than 1 denomination or society by agreement of the ministers of the denominations or societies concerned.
30 Bringing and leaving sectarian publications on State school premises
(1) A person other than a minister of religion or accredited representative must not bring onto, or use on, State school premises any denominational or society publication.
(2) A minister of religion or accredited representative must not leave on State school premises any denominational or society publication used by the minister of religion or accredited representative for religious instruction.
31 Students withdrawn from religious instruction
The principal of a State school must arrange for a student who has been withdrawn from all religious instruction by the student’s parent to receive other instruction in a separate location during the period arranged for religious instruction.
32 Register of ministers and accredited representatives
The principal of a State school must keep a register of the ministers of religion or accredited representatives who attend the school and the dates and times of the ministers’ or representatives’ attendance.
33 Selected Bible lessons
The principal of a State primary or State special school may arrange a period of one-half hour a week for religious instruction in selected Bible lessons.
Chaplaincy
The word ‘chaplain’ or any reference to ‘chaplaincy’ does not appear anywhere within Queensland Education law. However, state school chaplaincy is inextricably intertwined with 1910 legislated Religious Instruction (RI).
This includes all chaplaincy arrangements throughout Queensland funded by the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP).
Procrastination by the State
The 1989 Education Act provided the legal basis for the appointment of Chaplains in Queensland state schools. In this Act, school chaplaincy was permitted as an approved religious activity that takes place in a state school. The Education (General Provisions) Act, 1989, section 30, and its accompanying regulations (Part IV), made provisions for RE [sic] in terms of “right of entry” instruction by denominational representatives, selected Bible lessons by class teachers in primary and special schools, and alternative instruction for students withdrawn from these activities. These provisions were, in essence, the same as in the State Education Acts (Amendment Act) of 1910. The Department of Education Manual outlined policy and procedures for the implementation of the 1989 provisions as well as “other activities related to religion that may take place in state schools”. These other activities included school chaplaincy.
Salecich, J., 2001. Chaplaincy in Queensland State Schools: An Investigation.
Thesis, (PHD). University of Queensland