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Father seeks court orders regarding school to be attended by
daughter
A couple had a child in 2008 and separated in 2010. The parents
had distinctly different world views, with the mother being deeply
religious, while the father was not religious at all. After the
separation, the couple managed to negotiate arrangements for
sharing the care of the child.
In November 2012 the father took legal action against the
mother, seeking interim orders binding the parties in relation to
the school that their child would attend.
Mother enrols daughter in Christian school
Despite the existence of the unresolved dispute over the
child's future school, two days before the beginning of the
2013 academic year, the mother unilaterally decided to enrol the
child at a Christian school situated in reasonable proximity to her
home.
The father argued that his daughter should be withdrawn from the
Christian school and enrolled in a public school instead, while the
mother argued that the child should continue to attend the
Christian school.
Case a - The case for the father
Case b - The case for the mother
My daughter is currently attending a school whose entire
construct is religious instruction. Her exposure to religious
beliefs at the school is more akin to indoctrination than
instruction.
My daughter's life is currently saturated with
Christianity. I don't object to her receiving religious
instruction, but I feel she receives sufficient instruction from
her mother at home and by attending church with her mother on
Sundays.
If my daughter attends a public school, she will be exposed to
a greater diversity of beliefs and practices, which would be to her
benefit.
My secular beliefs are just as valid as the religious beliefs
of my daughter's mother. There has to be sufficient space in my
daughter's life for her to be instructed by me about my secular
morals and values. This is not possible while my daughter is wholly
insulated in a religious environment.
I cannot afford to pay the fees of my daughter's current
school as I am unemployed. Having our daughter attend a public
school is an obvious and practical choice.
I am a devout Christian and it is important to me that my
daughter attends a school which upholds the same values.
It is important for my daughter to receive religious
instruction, given that I hold such deep convictions and I share
parental responsibility for her.
By attending a Christian school, my daughter can be nurtured in
a holistic environment where her spirit and soul are nourished and
not just her academic needs addressed.
My daughter has been making excellent progress at her current
school and she should continue to attend it.
So, which case won?
Cast your judgment below to find out
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