Bibles in Schools - part one

The last few months have seen a vigorous and very effective media campaign launched against Bibles in Schools programmes. The Secular Education Network and their Facebook group Keep Religion Out of Schools say that while religious groups claim to be teaching the eight core values of the New Zealand Schools Curriculum, their real agenda is something different. And that their presence in our otherwise State-run and secular primary schools is a breach of the Human Rights of both the children and their parents.

Not so, say the values groups and their supporters. While they are unapologetic about filtering those values through a Christian viewpoint, they insist that they are not there to recruit new members. And that it is appropriate for children growing up in New Zealand to know about a religion that played a formative part in the history of their nation.

In the first of two-part series, Spiritual Outlook producer Justin Gregory examines the claims of the Secular Education Network. And in the following episode, groups and individuals connected with values teaching respond.

Produced by Justin Gregory For Radio New Zealand National.