Ethics are common to all societies, and existed long before the major religions.

The ethics in the scriptures are simply a reflection of existing standards required for human interaction. Any claim that ethics teaching without religion is pointless is extremely cheeky.

In reality religion has very little to offer ethics. The existing religious education system is abhorrent.

McReal, you are being passively aggressive and your hostility to religion is showing. Being "worldly" can have both good and bad commotations so spare us your nebulosity and instead eleaborate on what you actualy mean by that.
You have a totalitarian and anti human rights belief when you say that "Parents should not be the primary educators". This is insincere tripe because such lack of qualification would be rejected even by you if you found aspects of the society, community and world objectionable in their influence over your children ( if you have any). So..., go get real, McReal.

A State religion? Aren't you jumping the gun McReal? Whils that is a good ideal and a teaching of the Catholic Church which I endorse, it is a very long way off. Ever since Europe moved form Catholic to part Protestant, then Masonic and Deist...it is a long way off. But I sense your fear. 'Don't be afraid' says Christ to all of us, and also to you, McReal. LOL
'Be not afraid, I go before you always. Come follow me. And I will give you rest': quote from the Good Shepherd and founder of the true Church ( Catholic) Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Well done Meg Wallace, and I see Glen C has commented too, his own article is linked to this one...also worth a read.

The idea that students are being 'taught' in this scarce timeslot in schools simply does not stand up to scrutiny.

This time is all about, and only about, evangelising and proselytising with the aim of keeping the pwes full, the ever emptying pews that is.

In 1995 Archbishop Hollingworth said exactly this in his address to the Brisbane Anglicans, The Scripture Union web page says exactly this today...go and read it.

The pretend 'chaplains' in schools are nothing short of a free kick to otherwise unemployable extremists, as another poster suggests above.

It is time we had a review of all such acceptance of this cheap gin-palace variety of religion in state schools, and a major purge of the system, right around the nation-state.

And do we really need to 'teach ethics'? Whose ethics? Yours, or mine?

Far better students were taught how to 'think' a little more critically than many adults can today.

It would also help a great deal if the design of schools was looked at. They are destined to continue 'failing' if they continue to be run as sausage factories of coercive control.

They need no 'chaplains', just a more intelligent use made of their space, and a total revamp on what 'education' is for.

I rather like the English guy who was here so time ago, Sir Ken Robinson...an educator..check out the TED vimeo/youtube via the Lifematters ABC webpage, last year sometime.

'It is a human right to have religion taught to our children'. Wrong, Webby, it is a human right to have the freedom to practise your religion of choice. Nothing about being taught it at school, though of course you have the option of attending a faith-based school. Given that the school day is a mere six hours and is already pretty full, the remaining eighteen hours, plus weekends, provide plenty of time for parents to arrange religious instruction for their children. As you say, parents are the 'primary educators of their children'.

Webby I notice you are being the tipical christain and making statements about religion as if Main stream christianity is the only game in town.

"The State should not teach religion however, the State should allow parents ( who are the primary educators of their children) the opportunity to have religion classes at school according to their professed religion."

How does that work, there are Tens of thousands of religions out there, should we make room for all (or just the ones your confortable with) or none of them. would you be happy to see a wikan talk about white magic or a PNG whitch doctor come in a teach how a persons brain must be eaten when they die. You haven't really thought this throught have you? The fact is that more and more of us are not christains so my vote is for none of them. to be taught The funny thing of this whole debate is it shows just how backward the East coast of Australia is.

It would be fantastic if we could abolish religious classes tomorrow, but in reality that will take time. And what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Does the author propose that, on principle, we should continue to subject our kids to mandatory down-time? If we are barred from teaching them anything from the curriculum while the scripture classes are going on, then we owe it to ours kids to give them a useful alternative, right now. I'm not going to sit around waiting for the perfect solution, at the expense of my kids!