Religion in NZ Schools

New Zealand does not have a long standing doctrine about the separation of church and state as the US does. But this fundamental belief is so ingrained in me that I was mildly shocked to attend my first session of Religious Instruction at my school, which is held every other Friday.

All the students came into the Hall and sat as they do for an assembly. A handful (20?) provided written notes from parents excusing them from R.I. as it is called. These were mostly students from India (who are probably Hindu?), and a girl from Afghanistan who is Muslim and wears a headscarf all the time. Anyway, students were allowed to opt out with parent permission.

But the other 260 students remained in the Hall while the chaplain actually read a Psalm and talked about how Jesus is your friend, etc. The whole thing lasted almost an hour (!) and included singing a hymn. It's truly alarming to an American like me to see religion dished out like this in a public school setting.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. First of all, I have been a lifelong church-goer and find great comfort in what religion has to offer me. In addition, I'm new here in NZ, and I don't want to start complaining just because they don't act like the States regarding the separation of church and state. On the other hand, I firmly believe that religion should not be government-imposed because 1) the government will just muck it up and 2) religion belongs in a religious institution of one's choice. I think that last word is the key for me: choice. I choose to attend church year after year, and it's the right choice for me. I cannot say that it should necessarily be the right choice for everyone.