Dr Bryan Cowling, head of the Anglican Education Commission, has made clear his opposition to an application before the NSW Government to provide ethics classes as an alternative to school Scripture (SRE).
In September, the St James Ethics Centre applied to the NSW Minister for Education, Verity Firth, asking her to approve a 10-week trial ethics program to be taught in state schools to Year 5 and 6 students whose parents have chosen not to send them to Scripture.
Dr Cowling said the centre's desire to contribute is commendable, but its "entry point is misguided".
According to Simon Longstaff from the St James Ethics Centre, the trial "” if approved "” would be taught by a mix of volunteers and interested teachers.
Seven NSW schools have expressed interest in taking part: Rozelle, Hurstville, Baulkham Hills North, Darlinghurst, Neutral Bay and Ferncourt (South Marrickville) in Sydney, as well as Bungendore Public School, near Canberra.
Said Mr Longstaff: "The Minister has publicly stated that she will have to defer to curriculum experts on this. [We have] corresponded with the Minister, reminding her we have invited the Department and the Board of Studies to contribute to the design of the pilot [and that] Professor Philip Cam, an international expert in the area of philosophy and ethical exploration in children, will lead the design."
Dr Cowling argued that if the material in the pilot program is of a high enough standard, it should be included in the wider syllabus for all students.
However, the ethics centre said it has chosen to focus on the one-hour window provided for SRE because of a NSW educational policy which, while it allows opt-out students to be supervised, does not allow them to be taught anything "” specifically mentioning "ethics, values, civics or general religious education".
Ms Firth's office is making no comment about the proposal at this stage, other than confirming the application has been received and is being considered.
Dr Cowling said there would be a lot of students who didn't go to SRE classes whose parents "wouldn't necessarily choose for them to have ethics lessons with the St James Centre.
"If people had an opportunity to opt in to ethics as an alternative to any SRE "” Muslim, Christian or whatever "” so be it, but the people delivering the ethics course would then have to meet the same requirements as the approved churches or mosques and people who are their authorised representatives."
