Why the National Curriculum Must Include the Bible

By Dr Bryan Cowling

Posted on 12 April 2010

Writing in the April edition if Quadrant, Australian journalist and author of five children's novels, including Beyond the Knock-Knock Door and Raw, which was an HSC text from 2002-2008, Scott Monk argues the case for including the Bible in the national curriculum. So far his call has not attracted much comment from the Christian educational community.

In our view, it should attract lots of positive comments. Scott's analysis of the significant influence of the Bible on western culture is a good one. So is his observation of the gross deficiency that there is in our community's lack of knowledge of it as a result of its exclusion from the canon of essential reading.

Biblical illiteracy is not an altogether novel phenomenon but it is certainly more apparent today than it was, say 30 years ago.

Why is this the case?  A naïve acceptance of political correctness, a misinformed belief that the Bible has no relationship to life in the twenty first century and the reluctance of Christian educators to base their approach to teaching and learning on a biblical theology and worldview are undoubtedly true.

Scott calls for the Bible's inclusion in the national curriculum. If that is the most appropriate way in which to advance its re-establishment, now is the time for advancing the argument.  For Anglican and other Christian schools at least, it ought not to require recognition within the national curriculum for it to be used properly and with integrity as the shaper of a Christian approach to teaching and learning. Too often, when it is used, only parts of it are used, and even then it is treated as an ‘add on' rather than the book of timeless wisdom and insight into the mind and heart of God that it really is.

Scott Monk is to be commended for his courage in putting the place of the Bible in schools on to the public agenda.

What do you think?

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