Sydney's Anglican schools urge Government to keep religious exemptions to discriminate

The heads of 34 Anglican Schools in Sydney and the Illawarra have written to all federal MPs urging them to protect exemptions for religious schools in the Sex Discrimination Act.

The letter signed by principals from schools including the exclusive Sydney schools Abotsleigh and Shore has also been sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

It follows the Government's decision to introduce a new Religious Discrimination Act to protect gay students.

The decision, during campaigning for the Wentworth by-election, was sparked by a leaked review into religious protections in Australia by former Liberal MP Philip Ruddock.

It recommended the legislative provisions allowing religious schools to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status should be made consistent around the country.

The principals' letter requests that religious exemptions stay in place until religious freedoms are legally protected.

"The current exemptions, however clumsy, in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 are really the only significant legal protections available to schools to maintain their ethos and values with regards to core issues of faith," the letter said.

"A more general positive right would be far better, but until such time as religious freedom is codified in legislation, the exemptions should remain."

The principal of Sydney's Shore Church of England Grammar School Tim Wright questioned the need for a new act this morning on ABC Radio Sydney.

"There hasn't been any gay student expelled from an Anglican school in my memory, and there hasn't been a gay staff member sacked from an Anglican School in my memory," he said.

"At interview the question we ask is 'are you able to support the Christian ethos of the school?'

"Many of our staff live with their boyfriend or girlfriend … and we accept that."

The Government wanted to draft laws to stop discrimination against gay students in the last sitting period as a matter of urgency, but Labor and the Coalition were unable to reach a deal and the matter was deferred until the next sitting of Parliament.

The Government is still considering whether to end the exemptions for teachers, saying that ending discrimination against students is its first priority.

Let's block ads! (Why?)