AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
Joanne McCarthy
2 Feb 2017
SCRIPTURE in public schools is not an issue about religious views or what you believe about the historical accuracy of the Bible, which is where a lot of the argument seems to settle these days given the heavy involvement of evangelical Christian churches.
The scripture debate is about a more basic issue than that – child protection.
For more than three years the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has considered how institutions – churches, schools, sporting organisations, welfare providers, government departments, police, the justice system – have responded to child sexual abuse.
What can be said today, without any doubt, is that an institution with responsibility for children that fails to make child protection the top priority, is an institution where children are potentially at risk.
As a principle, child protection includes protecting children from sexual, physical and emotional harm.
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