Australian Christian Lobby today congratulated the Tasmanian upper house for passing a bill to protect a faith-based school’s right to enrol based on ethos.
“The amendment allows all religious schools to determine their enrolments according to their ethos without approval from the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner,” ACL Tasmanian State Director Mark Brown said.
“The change supports the rights of parents who want to educate their children a certain way, and the rights of those children who share their parents’ faith and values,” Mr Brown said.
“ACL welcomes the passage of this bill through the upper house. This is a welcome, common sense measure that will protect important religious freedoms and human rights in Tasmania.”
BACKGROUND
On 28 May 2015 the Legislative Council passed the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2015
This is in line with single-sex schools’ ability to positively discriminate in favour of students of one gender to ensure the culture of the school is maintained. Religious schools should also have this right in order to preserve their ethos and community culture.
Currently, only schools that are oversubscribed can apply for the exemption. This change will ensure that smaller schools are not potentially breaching the Anti-Discrimination Act.
The bill ensures schools can continue to make certain the distinctions that make the school what it is, thereby ensuring diversity in the types of schools available in Tasmania.
The amendment does not, as some have suggested, unfairly target minority groups within the community but will acknowledge the vital place freedom of conscience and religion has in a healthy democracy.
Article 18(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) specifically protects the right of parents ‘to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions’.
ACL Tasmanian State Director Mark Brown
