The long-awaited religious freedom legislation which is expected to be tabled in the Australian Parliament today (25 November), is an important step towards protecting religious freedoms in this country.

For Catholic, and other faith-based schools, the legislation will support us to operate, in identity and mission, as faith-based schools. 

Governments should respect and protect the religious freedom of parents who choose to send their children to a school where they will be taught in accordance with their religious convictions.

The curriculum, pedagogy and day to day activities of the school, including liturgical activities, are underpinned by a Catholic worldview and this could be compromised if Catholic schools don’t have the freedom to employ staff who are supportive of their mission.

It is encouraging to see that both major parties, and their leaders, have indicated that religious schools, and parents of students, are entitled to require employees to act in their roles in ways that uphold the ethos and values of that faith, and that this requirement may be taken into account when a person is first employed and in the course of their employment.

The legislation is not about extending discriminations regarding other civil or political rights, but is about ensuring religious rights in Australia are protected. 

The federal legislation needs to be finalised as quickly as possible to set national leadership on this issue, as we have seen some states seeking to curb religious freedom through their own legislation.  

Catholic Social Teaching and Australian Policy Making

I was pleased to moderate the recent panel discussion at the launch of Emeritus Professor Greg Craven's book, Shadow of the Cross, last Thursday evening with former Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, and host of the event, Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter A Comensoli (see story below). 

The panel offered an interesting dicussion on the role of Catholic social teaching principles in policy making with education being a key area where Prof Craven argued that it would make a beneficial contribution. 

We've seen in recent decades education become a battleground for a range of ideological viewpoints. Catholic social teaching - and its key principles of the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity - offer a lens that can contribute to a vision for Australian education or, at the very least, Catholic education. 

I would encourage you to read the book which offers responses by Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, among others.

Jacinta Collins 
National Catholic education executive director