CHILDREN who don’t want to learn about God are effectively being punished by being made to colour in or pick up rubbish rather than have alternative lessons to scripture.

Now frustrated parents are pushing the Parents and Citizens Federation to force the government to change strict rules governing what schools can do while scripture is being taught.

According to Department of Education policy, those alternative activities must not compete with scripture classes nor can they incorporate anything from the curriculum — so children in scripture are not penalised.

media_camera Parents are pushing to force the government to change strict rules on what kids can do while scripture is being taught. Picture: iStock

But parents at 18 schools across the state want to see children given something meaningful to do instead.

About 30 per cent of primary schools offer ethics classes but these are not funded by the government. They can only exist when the school has sufficient parents willing to teach the class.

This means parents who withdraw their children from religious education are consigning them to “alternative activities” — colouring in or cleaning up the playground.

“It is not acceptable that children who do not wish to attend scripture must miss out on a fulfilling education,” Belmore South Public School P & C president Lisa Trewin said.

Ms Trewin is a practising Catholic but withdrew her kids from scripture class ­because she couldn’t be sure volunteers weren’t spruiking “fire and brimstone”.

“We’re allowing community members to teach their religion in schools but a scientist or artist couldn’t come and share their passion because it would be deemed in competition with scripture,” she said.

media_camera Education Minister Rob Stokes says scripture is still run in classes because its traditional. Picture: Craig Wilson

The P&C will vote on the proposed changes at next month’s annual general meeting and, if it passes, it will become the official stance. Federation president Susie Boyd revealed there was also a “groundswell” of parents pushing to banish religious studies from the classroom completely.

Asked why the government was persisting with scripture classes, Education Minister Rob Stokes lent on tradition.

“Religious education classes have been offered in public schools since 1848 and have been supported by all NSW governments since then,” Mr Stokes said.

“There is a longstanding policy and legal framework supporting freedom of religion and conscience in NSW public schools.”