Children do better if their school is religious and in fact they prefer having a Christian ethos at school to none at all writes Katherine Child.
This is one of the arguments of advocate Johan du Toit in the Johannesburg High Court in a case on how religion should be practised at state schools.
Du Toit was quoting Dr Tanya Robinson‚ a self-described expert on human behaviour‚ who surveyed and held focus groups with about 808 children at religious Afrikaans schools. She asked the children what they thought about having religious readings and prayer in assembly.
Her research was commissioned by Fedsas‚ the Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools‚ who are defending the right of six Afrikaans state schools to have Christian assemblies‚ hold Christian prayers during school time and advertise themselves as having a “Christian ethos”.
Hans Pietersen‚ a father of triplets‚ brought the court case‚ asking the schools be interdicted from having Christian assemblies or voluntary Christian meetings at break. He has argued that single-religion schools are unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Robinson’s findings were that children would feel “devastated and defeated” if Christian teaching at school was banned.
She argued that religious teachings played a role in the psycho-social development of children.
“The [Christian] ethos of school helps them cope with circumstances at home‚” read Du Toit from her report.
Their answers to her questionnaire were not unanimous.
But the children reported preferring having a Christian ethos at school and Robinson said religion made them “empowered and uplifted”.
The children “appreciate they should be accommodating other religions”‚ she found.
Children living in South Africa face many harsh circumstances due to violence and poverty‚ she argued.
Quoting from the SA Child Gauge developed annually by the UCT Children’s Institute‚ she stated that many children lived in single parent households‚ and at least 14% did not have anything to eat.
She claimed a religious ethos at schools helped them cope with their challenges and gave them instruction on values they may not receive at home.
Pietersen’s organisation‚ OGOD‚ has countered with testimony from Professor Cornelia Roux‚ from the North West University School of Education.
Roux in a written affidavit has critiqued the questionnaire used to ask children their views‚ saying the same one was given to learners from Grade R to Grade 7.
But a six-year-old child is vastly different developmentally to a 12-year-child. Roux argues that the questions need to take into account the development and understanding of the child‚ which the one survey did not.
She has also stated that parents and civil society were inflamed about religious freedom in schools at the time Robinson did her research and this hype might have influenced children to answer in a particular way.
Roux pointed out that Robinson’s questionnaire only spoke about Jesus and Christianity and thus automatically excluded any pupil with other religious or secular beliefs.
Du Toit‚ when questioned by judges‚ emphasised that religion benefits children at school and its withdrawal is to their detriment.
