SRE discrimination

I have a very disturbing story of widespread bullying of children at our public school who opt out of SRC. I believe this is due to a combination of a devout teachers personal views and a desire to have a free hour while the kids are at scripture. Over my 7 years at the school the following incidences have occurred:

- My child has repeatedly been sent to SRE despite my filling in on day 1 a form that specifically opted them out of SRE. I only discovered this when my daughter began sprouting terms like “Jesus loves us” around the house. It took a phone call followed later by a stern letter from myself to finally cease this.
- The children have been told that they should go home and ask their parents to put them in scripture.
- They have been told that non-scripture will be made so boring that they will want to go back to scripture
- They have been prohibited in primary by one teacher from looking at picture books, as this is fun and they must read novels instead.

I see this is as blatant discrimination against my family’s choice of faith. If this was reversed and told to a group of Catholic kids opting out of an alternate religious education course the school would be hauled over the coals and probably end up on A Current Affair that evening. This came to light after my daughter repeatedly began to came home on SRE days begging me to let her go to scripture as “they have puppet shows and are allowed to do fun stuff”. Being a slow reader she was bored to tears in the library trying to read novels. A letter to the principal led to denials and the matter was ignored. Against my better judgement I let them go to SRE, adding another 2 kids to the false total of SRE supporters. My kids are there solely so they don’t feel ostracised for their faith. No child should be made to feel the belief system they are being raised in is not worthy.

NC