Lord's Prayer rejected by Edgewater Primary School
September 20, 2011 3:34PM
OPPOSING VIEWS: Edgewater Primary School, where a decision to no longer recite the Lord's Prayer has caused controversy. Picture: Alf Sorbello Source: PerthNow
A WEST Australian government school has banned students from reciting the Lord's Prayer before assembly in response to complaints from parents.
Edgewater Primary School, in Perth's north, ended the 25-year practice after some parents said it contravened the WA Education Act, which stipulates schools cannot favour one religion over another.
Edgewater principal Julie Tombs sent a letter to parents yesterday saying the prayer would no longer be recited before each fortnightly assembly.
She said although most students' parents favoured the tradition, only 36 per cent responded to a survey asking for their views.
``We acknowledge that of the parents who did respond to the survey, many wanted to retain the Lord's Prayer and it is right that we continue to recite it at culturally appropriate times such as Christmas and Easter, as part of our educational program,'' Ms Tombs said in a statement.
Full story: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/lords-prayer-rejected-by-primary-school/story-e6frg15c-1226141916195
It's curious that this school headmistress decides to remove the prayer from school assembly, and yet, by her own admission, the school's "creed" contains a reference to a supernatural god. Perhaps it doesn't discern which supernatural god, but it still shows favouritism towards most religions, at the exclusion of those religions that do not have gods, or those who follow no religion at all.
There's nothing wrong with children who wish to indulge in religious practice at a public school in their own time, so long as their activity affects no-one else. It's just that the school should show or support no preference - it shouldn't be a school led activity.
One of reasons for having a separation of church and state is so that majority groups don't trample all over the rights of minorities. We can look forward to the day when the majority of Australians understand that.
