Court Rules That Schools Can't Promote One Religion in Johannesburg
The High Court in Johannesburg handed down a ruling that public schools in the country shouldn't favor any one religion over the others. A complaint was filed against six schools that teach from a Christian perspective, but the decision becomes a landmark case on religion in all 24,000 South African schools.
In its judgment, the South Gauteng High Court expressed concern on the single faith branding in schools and the endorsement of one religion to the exclusion of others. It reminded that public-funded schools are organs of state, and the society in which they function is diverse.
Judge van Der Linde emphasized that religious observances may be conducted as long as it doesn't promote just one religion and attendance is free and voluntary. The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools argued that the Constitution allows public schools to identify with one religion and promote it.
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The Organization for Religious Education and Democracy (OGOD) brought the case against six schools with a Christian ethos. It branded the schools' refusal to implement the scientific teaching of the theory of evolution as an abuse of pupils' rights. It also opposed the teaching of creationism and the coercion of pupils to follow Christianity.
The schools that were hailed to court are Laerskool Randhart, Laerskool Baanbreker, Laerskool Garsfontein, Hoërskool Linden, Hoërskool Oudtshoorn and Oudtshoorn Gimnasium. "Our case was built on the fact that they were called Christian schools and coerced learners to participate'" said Hans Pietersen, founder and chairperson of OGOD.
He clarified that they didn't want to prohibit religious practices in schools. On the contrary, they wanted schools to engage in religious education, rather than religious instruction. He also prefers that schools teach about religion rather than teach its students to be religious.
The African Christian Democratic Party welcomed the ruling as it gives parents a say about religious practices in school. Other religions also have the right to practice their religion in the school, it added. For its part, the Department of Education considered the ruling as consistent with its own policy.
