Religious liberty is a two way street, the right to believe and the right not to believe. Not only that but if you do believe, how much and what part. In New South Wales, parents are fight for the right to teach ethics classes instead of scripture classes. The state allows scripture to be taught in schools but a parent can opt out. If a parent opts out, the child is apparently placed in another school room or the school library and does nothing. A group of parents have advocated for ethics classes as an alternative to the scripture classes. This would allow parents to choose not between scripture training and nothing but between scripture training and ethics training.
This just makes sense.
A pilot program was launched and students were given the choice which class to take. Some students in the scripture classes opted to take the ethics classes instead. There has been an outcry from the Catholic and other groups advocating for scriptural education. They don’t have the field all to themselves, though.
In the United States, we already had this lovely opt out provision in a different format. We used to have prayer in the morning of school each day. If a student opted out he could stand out in the hallway while everybody else prayed. I’m old enough to have prayed in public schools before the Supreme Court ruling. At my school, they didn’t bother to give me or the other children a choice to not participate in the prayer, but in other schools they did. I’ve talked and read accounts of people who stood in those hallways, they didn’t think much of it. It was only for a few minutes but I guess it seemed like a long time for them.
All these people advocating for a change want is a choice between scripture and ethics teaching. The current choice is between taking a scripture class and sitting in (what in America is known as) study hall. The current choice is strongly stacked in favor of scripture class. A choice is supposed to be a choice.
James Pilant
Pilant's Business Ethics Blog 
I had another perspective on this. Apart for the choice between whether to choose or not to choose between Ethic classes and Scripture classes, what can be made available is to cater to the needs of both the groups…
Why not have a merger to extract the ethics from the scriptures and cater to both the groups. An example of it is in our Scriptures (the Revelation “Holy Qur’an” and the authentic narrations of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)). This way both groups get what they want. A connection to the faith and derivative of ethics useful in their daily lives.
Some Examples from the authentic Islamic narrations of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
27- Mohamed b. Kathir related to us saying: Sofyan informed us saying: Saad b. Ibrahim related to us on the authority of Hamid b. Abd Errahman on the authority of Abdullah b. ‘Umar that he said that the prophet (PBUH) said:”One of the major sins is to revile one’s parents”. The companions asked, “How does one revile his parents?” the prophet (PBUH) replied, “By reviling a man who in turn reviles the one’s father and mother”. (Authentic)
38- Abu Elrabi’ related to us saying: Isma’iel b. Gaa’far related to us saying: El’Alaa’ informed us on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, that the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:” When a servant of Allah (a person) dies, all of his actions come to an end except for three things: An ongoing charity (sadaqa), knowledge that people continue to benefit from, or a virtuous child who makes supplication for him.” (Authentic)
41- Abdullah b. Yazid related to us saying: Haiawah related to us saying: Abu ‘Othman Al-walid b. Abi Al-walid related to us on the authority of Abdullah b. Dinar on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that:”The best of good deeds is when a man maintains good relations with those whom his father maintained cordiality.” (Authentic)
95- Mohamed b. Al ‘Alaa’ related to us saying: Mou’awiah b. Hisham related to us of the authority of Shiban , on the authority of Firas , on the authority of Attia , on the authority of Abu Sa’ied, that the prophet (PBUH) said: ” He who never shows mercy, will never be shown mercy.” (Authentic)
96- Mohamed b. Sallam related to us saying: Abu Mou’awiah informed us on the authority of Al A’mash, on the authority of Zaid b. Wahband Abi Zibian on the authority of Garir b. Abdullah saying that the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:”Allah doesn’t bestow his mercy upon he who doesn’t show mercy to people.”(Authentic)
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I sincerely wish that all people could draw upon wisdom as it is reflected in the teachings of the great. Unfortunately Australia’s idea of “scripture” is the Bible alone.
I really liked this quote you gave me and you can count on me using it. Thanks! – “When a servant of Allah (a person) dies, all of his actions come to an end except for three things: An ongoing charity (sadaqa), knowledge that people continue to benefit from, or a virtuous child who makes supplication for him.”
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