From the Principal

The LCS board and leadership consider it an important part of our remit to keep abreast of the political scene in Australia, particularly where it impacts on matters of faith and Christian education.

In this edition I've included a summary of current issues so that you too can be informed and join me in praying for an Australia that continues to uphold freedom of faith. If this is of interest to you, I encourage you to connect with the Australian Association for Christian Schools, which has a continual finger on the pulse.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—    

whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    

of whom shall I be afraid? 

Psalm 27:1-2

Yours in Christ,

Stuart Kent,

Principal. 

Religious Freedom

The Australian Association for Christian Schools shared a letter from the Attorney General, Hon Mark Dreyfus, outlining the Government's position regarding the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill. Existing protections within section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act remain in place for religious educational institutions. You can read the full letter here.

As we head towards a federal election (likely in May 2025), the AACS is asking for feedback from member schools about issues they would like to see raised with the major parties. Please let me know if there is anything you would like flagged.

Misinformation & Disinformation Bill

The Parliamentary Inquiry on the The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 recently opened for a brief period, attracting significant media attention. 

There are concerns about the potential impact on Christian schools, in particular the lack of clarity on the definition of "religious purpose" and the risk of over-censorship by social media companies. The AACS has advised us that it has joined with other faith groups in a submission to the Inquiry and will continue to monitor the progress of bill.

TAS: Bullying & Discrimination Inquiry

This week, AACS Executive Officer Vanessa Cheng and Christian Schools Tasmania CEO David Gillman were invited to present a submission at the public hearing of the Inquiry into Discrimination and Bullying in Tasmanian Schools. We are grateful to those within the LCS community who wrote into the inquiry with positive stories about Christian schools.

Here is a sample of the submission:

Christian schools seek to prevent discrimination and bullying by creating positive communities for staff and students that are modelled on a Christ-like attitude of love. In the Words of Jesus Christ, our Lord: 

 

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12-14 NIV). 

 

Growing and maintaining positive staff and student relationships are a high priority and provide a good foundation for preventing bullying. When incidences occur, Christian schools have clear anti-bullying polices in place to deal with these issues. Christian schools seek to respond to incidences of bullying and discrimination through modelling repentance and forgiveness to maintain and restore positive relationships within our school communities.