Kerre Woodham: Religious debate another battle in same old war

The latest missive from the Ministry of Education reiterating that New Zealand's state schools should not be used for the purpose of religious instruction has outraged a number of righteous New Zealanders.

They see this as an attack on New Zealand's way of life, yet another indication that "foreigners" are coming into this country and telling Kiwis how to live their lives.

Which is, of course, absolute bollocks. The debate over whether or not there should be Bible instruction in schools has raged since the 1877 Education Act.

Early government officials were adamant that state schools should be secular and they were, although eventually a compromise was reached, by "closing" the school for religious education. And so, in this way, things have muddled along quite nicely with some schools having more religious component than others. Avondale College has for some time had a Christian youth group within the school and they've been able to meet in one of the school's classrooms and in their own time. When a group of Muslim students asked if they could have the same privilege, they were granted permission on the same terms. This nonsense that it's Muslims telling us what to do is just that - nonsense. If you had a look at the complaints to the ministry about the creep of religion into what are supposed to be secular schools, you'll find that the complaints are more likely to be coming from your atheist yuppie neighbours than any burkha-wearing Muslims.

The battlelines between the ministry wanting to keep religion out of school and members of the community who want moral instruction of the nation's children were drawn more than hundred years ago.

The turf war between different religious faiths is also a long standing one. The only difference in 2006 is that Muslims, not Catholics, are seen as the danger. They're old arguments and old prejudices. The only constant is that the ministry is getting the flak.