Secularists have called on the state Labor government to take inspiration from a Bjelke-Petersen minister and scrap volunteer-run religious instruction classes in favour of a more rounded, historical approach that would expose students to all major religions.

This exact recommendation was made in a "scathing" 1972 report from then-education minister Sir Alan Fletcher to his Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen-led government.

Alison Courtice from Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools with her Year 5 daughter Lauren at Windsor State School. She is calling for religious instruction courses to be replaced by studies of the world's religions. Credit:Tony Moore

It has never been considered by Education Queensland and only recently seen by current Education Minister Grace Grace and director-general Tony Cooke in June.

The 1972 report, Challenge and Change, was kept secret under Queensland’s 30-year cabinet secrecy provisions and was discovered in the State Library of Queensland last year by Windsor State School parent Alison Courtice.