All Children Deserve an Education in Values
The Secular Education Network has been established to support parents who believe that Values are important in the education of all our children. That Values education should be provided on a non discriminatory basis.
Values are important regardless of religion.
Many parents have been put in the position of deciding whether or not to allow their children to attend religious classes. These classes are designed to indoctrinate children with religious belief. They are often promoted to parents as ‘values classes’. The sectarian nature of these classes and the refusal of schools to conduct inclusive values classes is a poor example of the values they purportedly teach. Often this leaves parents with the impossible decision of allowing religious indoctrination and some teaching of values, or no instruction on values at all.
The purpose of the Secular Education Network is to promote the true separation of church and state; to give all faiths are equal treatment by the state. It is to ensure that all children are treated equally. It is to ensure that children are not excluded and segregated from their classmates because of decisions by schools to permit religious indoctrination. It is to ensure that children are given positive instruction in values, not ignored in libraries.
It is to promote the equal treatment of all children.
We welcome people of all faiths. The Secular Education Network is open to anyone who supports these values regardless of their personal faith.
Why Join the Secular Education Network?
You may be a parent who questions the nature of religious instruction and struggles with the difficult decision to opt their child out of religious instruction. You might feel alone and isolated in your concerns. When you join the Secular Education Network you are joining a community of parents facing the same question.
You will be joining a larger community of people who believe that parents shouldn’t need to make this choice, and that values should be taught in a inclusive and non partisan way within the safety of the standard school system.
By joining the Secular Education Network you will have access to a well established and well resourced Humanist association committed to freedom of expression and freedom of religion. There is no cost to joining the network, simply fill in the form above.
But what will we do about religion in schools?
- Run local campaigns to educate parents about Secular Values Education.
- Provide support for parents struggling with the decision to opt out.
- Support those who choose to run for School Boards to change discriminatory practices.
- Encourage School Boards to support non discriminatory Secular Education.
- Support members who wish to complain to the Human Rights Commission.
- Provide regular meetings, email newsletters and web site about Secular Education.
- Promote Law Change to see real Separation of Church and State.