The Fourth R - keeping religion in Queensland State schools within the Law

Education Queensland calls-in WORLD VISION
to supply evangelical Christian 'mentors'
for thousands of teacher-identified
deprived Queensland State school children:
"who lack significant one-to-one relationships
with a caring adult, other than their parents".

'Mentoring' appears to be a recent addition to the methods by which Christian evangelist 'volunteers' are being awarded access-all-areas platinum passes to penetrate Queensland state primary and high schools—with the blessing of Education Queensland. Disturbingly though, there is no mention whatsoever of 'mentoring' within the Queensland Education Act/Regulation,EQ policy or 'guidelines'. Christian mentoring is a rudderless ark—stealthily sailing under legislative radar.

Enter World Vision. On our home page, we provide examples of Pentecostal church State school mentoring schemes currently operating in Queensland since 2006—these examples are repeated at the bottom of this page. However, there is a new (as far as we know) player in the Queensland State school Christian mentoring racket—the latest addition to our haystack of last-straws: World Vision. Yes—World Vision of 'Forty Hour Famine' fame. We are now aware of at least one South East Queensland state primary school allowing adult male and female Christian 'mentors' from a local Pentecostal church to 'befriend' students on a one-on-one basis for one hour weekly under the World Vision 'Kids Hope Aus' programme.

From the State School website:

(Name of School) S.S. works in partnership with the local Kids Hope Aus co-ordinator, to implement the World Vision mentoring program. The model is built on a long term relationship between a local church and a primary school where a caring adult from the church spends one hour a week with a child to provide additional support. Mentors are security checked and must complete a training program before they are matched to their mentees. 2008 is the first year the program has been run within the school. The importance of positive human relationships in children’s lives is the building blocks for healthy development. It offers significant impact on primary school children as it helps meet their emotional social and academic performance in a safe and effective mentoring program.

At the World Vision Kids Hope Aus website the following claims are made:

"The importance of positive human relationships in children's lives cannot be overstated. They are the essential building blocks for healthy development. And yet, many Australian children lack significant one-to-one relationships with a caring adult, other than their parents."

What the!?

Again from the World Vision site—who gets to 'identify' for mentoring these unfortunate young Queenslanders without 'a caring adult other than their parents' to confide in? Easy peasy:

"The children are identified by the teachers"

How cosy—but it gets more depressing at the Kids Hope Aus website:

"Some schools have asked for a mentor for every child!"

Since one of the below examples of mentoring has been secretly in place with the approval and encouragement of Education Queensland since 2006, The Fourth R has no way of knowing the number of Queensland schools affected by this ‘mentoring’ menace.

The only thing of which we are certain is that it must either be legislated for—or cease forthwith.

Other examples of secret evangelical Christian mentoring from a Pentecostal church website:

***** State School Mentoring

***** State School began a mentoring programme in mid 2006 and, at present there are 22 mentors meeting with students weekly. The school community is very grateful for all that has been achieved in this short time and we are eager for the programme to grow.
We are looking for adults who have a desire to befriend a primary aged child and to be a stable and loving influence in their life. You would need a current blue card to work with children and a willingness to be involved weekly for only 30 mins for at least one year (although we are hoping for longer where possible)
We are planning an information morning early in the school year for interested people. Our need for male mentors is quite urgent as well so could you please tell your husbands and men in your church. Thank you for your prayers and concern.

***** State High School Mentoring

It’s an amazing thing that a school opens its doors to the church to allow Christian mentors to have input into the lives of students at the school.
The way that mentoring works at *****, is that the mentor comes into the school for one hour a week to spend time with their student. We try to match mentors with students who have similar interests in life so there is a common connection.
We ask that the mentor commits to seeing the student for at least one year. A current blue card is required. Currently we have 12 mentors, and are hoping for hundreds more, both male and female.

Utilising the above 'programmes', State school children are then recruited for:

***** (State Primary School) Girls Getaway

This group was formed in October 2004 to meet the needs of some year 6 and 7 girls at ***** Primary School. The girls are invited to attend a weekend camp where they participate in fun activities and relationship building under the guidance of the school chaplain and a leadership team from various local churches.
The weekend provides an excellent opportunity to invest in these girls’ lives by showering them with love and positive experiences. They are encouraged to become more self confident and to look for the good in others. Promising results are always seen.

How can you help?

Prayer
Come on a camp as a leader
Make small gifts for the girls
Sponsor a girl to attend the camp

Finally completing the evangelical cycle: gain trust; groom; convert

City Chicks

‘What is City Chicks?’

A monthly event for unchurched girls between school years 7-10, particularly those who have been a part of the ‘Girls Getaway’ or ‘Shine’ programs. City Chicks will be a group where they can experience MORE - more fun, more friendship, more belonging, more truth & more freedom. A place where the message of God’s perfect plan & purpose for His daughters is louder than the world’s distorted perspectives!

“I have come so that they can have real & eternal life, MORE & a better life than they ever dreamed of.” - The Message Bible, John 10:10

To support or contribute to City Chicks please consider one or more of these areas:

Prayer
Mentoring
Volunteers for set up & support during an event
Financial contributions
Small group leaders
Catering

"Toto.. I've a feeling we're not in Australia anymore!"