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| Religious schools may be exempt from Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Act [Source: ABC News] |
Tasmania seems to be having its fair share of political controversy! From the renaming of Tasmania's wilderness to its soon-to-expire fracking ban, this Australian state is set to make some important decisions. Among these include an amendment to the Anti-Discrimination Act that allows "faith-based schools to give preference in their admissions to students who have religious beliefs, affiliations or activities consistent with those of the school."
The reaction to this decision are mixed. On the one hand, Independent Schools Tasmania celebrates this amendment. According to its chief executive, Tony Crehan, religious schools should be allowed this exemption because the schools were largely founded (and funded) by church-based communities. However, the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group decry this decision as a "bigot's charter." A spokesperson for the group, Rodney Croome, argues that religious schools should not receive special rights that could allow them to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students or children of such couples.
It'll be interesting to see how this landmark decision turns out, especially since it toes the fine line between religious freedom and freedom to discriminate. To learn more about Tasmania's religious makeup, check out how its demographics compare to that of Australia at-large.
References
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/religious-schools-to-be-given-the-right-to-reject-non-religious/6333256
- http://profile.id.com.au/australia/religion?WebID=150
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