Share

ACDP: Keep Christian teaching in schools

Johannesburg - Christian values should remain in schools because the Constitution promotes freedom of religion, the African Christian Democratic Party said on Tuesday.

President Rev Kenneth Meshoe said the party was appalled by calls for Christian values to be removed in schools.

"The ACDP will oppose attempts to stop Christian values from being taught in schools as our Constitution promotes the freedom of religion and not freedom from religion," Meshoe said in a statement.

Freedom Front Plus spokesperson Anton Alberts said the party supported efforts to oppose a planned court case directed at prohibiting six schools from exercising Christian values.

Alberts said the reaction from church circles and social media was proof the court action by a group calling itself OGOD, with its chairperson Hans Pietersen, is seen as a "witch-hunt on Christians".

He said the Organisation for Religion Education and Democracy's (OGOD) court case was "incorrectly motivated" and aimed at replacing one philosophy with another.

"Freedom of religion is of cardinal importance in South Africa. It is part of any mature democracy. In model C schools the principle of parental input, management and democracy is in place," he said.

"Therefore, learners who do not wish to be part of any religious actions should have the right to withdraw from it."

OGOD said it was taking six public schools and the ministers of basic education and correctional services to court for allowing "suppression of scientific and cultural knowledge", religious coercion and abuse of pupils' rights in public schools.

It wanted to "eradicate religious elitism" with its court action.

"The actions of the some public schools are in breach of the national policy on religion and education, and or unconstitutional, for such public schools," it said in a statement.

"OGOD defends the constitutional rights of learners to freedom of religion and conscience, and their right of access to knowledge. Many South African public schools abuse these rights."

The organisation listed over 60 "abuses of rights". These include requiring pupils to subscribe to a specific religion, referring to a deity in their school badges, and rendering religious instruction.

Also listed were handing out religious booklets or textbooks, issuing prefects with T-shirts with religious symbols on them, opening school assemblies with sermons or prayer, and requiring pupils to pray.

"This will be South Africa’s watershed case for religion in public schools."

The six schools are Hoërskool Linden in Johannesburg, Laerskool Randhart in Alberton, Laerskool Baanbreker in Boksburg, Laerskool Garsfontein in Pretoria and Hoërskool Oudtshoorn and Langenhoven Gimnasium both in Oudtshoorn.

Pietersen said the schools and departments had 20 business days to respond to its papers and that OGOD should know the way forward by the end of September.

"OGOD is not against a specific language, it just happens to be six Afrikaans schools where parents have approached us," he said.

"The object is to get equality and freedom. We want the schools to adhere to the national policy of religion. There is nothing in the policy that I do not agree with."

He said the organisation had similar complaints from parents in the past, but finally found enough parents with enough complaints to make a case.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 534 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 753 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.90
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE