2011-04-11 【Share to Friend】 【Print Friendly】 Canberra, Australia -- Buddhist community leader Dr Sue Smith has complained of Christian bias in religious education in Victoria, Australia, saying that her group could have expanded to hundreds of schools if it had access to government funding.

The issue led to huge debate after a media report revealed that the Education Department was forcing schools to host Christian religious education with or without their consent, The Age reports.

It took a new turn last week when state Education Minister Martin Dixon granted 200,000 dollars in extra funding to Christian religious education provider 'Access Ministries' to improve its training.

The paper quoted Dr Smith as saying that despite offering Buddhist education in 14 Victorian schools, they were not getting the advantages that are usually being enjoyed by the Christians.

There is definitely a funding bias ... Ours is funded by volunteers and donations, she said, adding that is they had the resources, I am confident that we could be in hundreds of schools.

However, Dixon said that he had no intention of reviewing the system despite being condemned for it.

The move sparked anger yesterday from groups representing other religions, who said Dixon had not consulted them.

We were requesting a meeting with the minister and have not even received a reply, Anna Halaffof of the Religion, Ethics and Education Network Australia, which promotes religious tolerance and respect, said.

Scott Hedges, a parent involved with the Fairness in Religions in School grassroots campaign, said that the Christianity taught in his daughter's Hawthorn school was missionary in nature, adding: The only difference between my daughter's class and an African village to these people is that we have cleaner water and shoes.

Nepal begins restoration of Buddha's birthplace

호주, 캔버라--불교 공동체의 지도자 수 스미쓰 박사가 빅토리아에서 발생하고 있는 종교교육의 기독교 편향에 대해 불만을 제기했다. 수박사는 정부의 재정지원을 받았다면 자신이 운영하는 단체도 수백 개의 학교를 세울 수 있었다고 말했다.

이 문제는 교육부가 각 학교들로 하여금 동의 없이도 기독교 종교교육을 할 수 있게 했다는 언론 보도 이후에 엄청난 반향을 일으켰다. 지난주에는 주 교육부장관인 마틴 딕슨이 제안한 기독교 종교교육 제공기관의 연수법 개선에 추가 자금 2백만 달러가 승인되었다.

수 박사는 빅토리아의 14개 학교에서 불교교육을 하고 있음에도 불구하고 기독교인이 누리고 있는 혜택을 받지 못하고 있다고 말했다.

학교민중운동의 종교 평등분과에 참여하고 있는 학부모 스콧 헤지는 자신의 딸이 다니는 호돈학교에서 가르치는 기독교는 본질적으로 선교중심이라고 하면서 그들에게 딸이 받는 수업과 아프리카 마을의 차이는 우리가 좀 더 깨끗한 물과 신발을 가졌다는 것뿐이라고 말했다.