The NSW Education Department has tightened its processes around parental consent for prayer groups in schools following complaints and concerns about extremist ideologies being promoted within them. The department assessed Daoud’s complaint and found that the content of the prayer group and special religious education classes were not contentious. Schools can choose to allow prayer groups as a voluntary religious activity, monitored by school staff and separate from special religious education. New guidelines issued in 2015 require principals to obtain parental permission before students can participate in prayer groups. The department launched a statewide audit of prayer groups in 2015 after allegations of radicalization at a school prayer group.
Concerns about the operation of prayer groups in schools have been raised by various individuals, including the father of a former student who joined an Islamist rebel group in Syria. Despite these concerns, the NSW Education Department has insisted that the allegations are unfounded and unsubstantiated. Some schools offer a variety of prayer groups to meet the needs of the community, ensuring parental consent is obtained and supervision is provided by school staff. The department has reviewed procedures to ensure that the content of activities in prayer groups is monitored, all students have parental permission, and attendance is recorded.
In response to the 2015 fatal shooting of Curtis Cheng by Farhad Jabar, the NSW government launched a $47 million program to counter violent extremism, including a schools initiative called School Communities Working Together. This program has since been replaced by another initiative focusing on supporting vulnerable and at-risk students in areas such as wellbeing, attendance, and behavior. The education department emphasizes its commitment to supporting students and working closely with external agencies such as NSW Police and the Department of Communities and Justice, as well as community groups.
Following Daoud’s complaint to Minister Mitchell’s office about his child’s involvement in a school prayer group without his knowledge, an official response stated that the department had reviewed procedures around prayer groups. The school is now required to ensure that the content of activities is monitored, all students have parental permission, and an attendance register is maintained. Despite past concerns and controversies surrounding school prayer groups in NSW, the education department continues to stress the importance of ensuring that these groups are run in accordance with departmental policies and guidelines. Vigilance and oversight are crucial to preventing the promotion of extremist ideologies within schools.
