Exclusive Brethren Schools
The following extracts are from Sect pupils in a class of their own, The New Zealand Herald, published on Sunday May 9th, 2010.
This furore commenced on May 2nd, 2010 when a former Exclusive Brethren school teacher was fired for using a non-approved textbook. The fired teacher spoke of clauses within her employment contract that includes proof that the cult attempts to prevent any of their children from going onto university education.
Why? They’re scared!
Imagine a school whose books had words blacked out or pages removed and large parts of the curriculum – particularly anything to do with puberty and sex – was simply not taught.
A school where teachers received unexpected late-night visits at home to check on their moral probity.
And where all aspects of school life are governed in every detail by a sacred text, but a committee has absolute discretion in deciding how to interpret it.
It may sound like the worst excesses of the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Iranian mullahs, but this is the prevailing orthodoxy in 15 Westmount schools across the country run by the Exclusive Brethren.
The Exclusive Brethren have replaced conscience with rules and directives. They do not practice faith, rather they separate themselves from society. They do not allow the strength of character that is built by learning right from wrong and the normal development of self-control – instead, they rip out pages from books!
This week, teachers in Westmount schools have been summoned to meetings and required to sign agreements not to talk to the media.
A veil of silence has descended over the schools, which receive $2.59 million in Government funding and have a combined student body of 1619.
How can any government justify giving tax-payer money to intentionally under-educate children?
A copy of an employment agreement obtained by this newspaper lists some remarkable requirements: teachers must disclose their “personal circumstances”, forgo union membership and agree that evolution is a falsehood.
No inter-school sports or activities may bring students into contact with other schools, and promoting any interest by students in university is forbidden.
Craig Hoyle, 20, was kicked out of the Exclusive Brethren early last year for telling his brothers and sisters he was gay.
He was at the Westmount school in Invercargill and said that the quality of education was extremely good – but very restrictive.
“Biology books had any pages involving sexual reproduction or a mention of genitals ripped out,” he said.
“There was no [sex education], no discussions about puberty anywhere. You’re just left to wonder what is going on. For someone like me who is questioning their sexuality, there is no one to talk to.”
He said he failed one section in an NCEA test on radio because pupils were never allowed to use one.
“None of us had any idea what they were asking. We all failed in spite of the teacher trying to explain what the different things meant without using a radio.”
Both Hoyle and another former student said they were brought up to look down on their teachers as “worldlies” – the word used for everyone who is not Exclusive Brethren.
The other student, a woman in her early 20s who left the sect over a year ago, said it was difficult integrating with the rest of society after her upbringing.
Family members turned against her; cutting all communication other than the odd letter declaring her insane or possessed.
“I completely hated it [at Westmount School],” she said. “Maybe some people were happy there, but I was unhappy at school and at home. It was too restrictive.”.”
Even when the Exclusive Brethren loosened its rules on technology in 2007, it was under strict controls.
Children and young people were not allowed mobile phones and texting capability was removed on phones owned by adults. All mobile phones, faxes, and computers had to be hired from a Brethren organisation.
The pupils constantly had it drilled into them that they were special people in special positions and that “worldlies were dirty people,” said the woman.
Outsiders were seen as a potential threat “to our purity, to our soul” and were not to be trusted, she said.
She said Exclusive Brethren members monitored staff to ensure they were no immoral activities.
“There were late-night visits. They would turn up at your house, uninvited, at around 9 or 9.30pm. They weren’t trying to befriend you; they don’t do that. They were just checking up on you. The clear intent is to catch you off-guard, to see your living conditions: are you living in sin outside marriage, are you getting a divorce, do you have a boyfriend, or – heaven forbid – have a woman partner. You feel like you are being spied on.”
Another teacher said if they had a day off their classroom would be searched looking for any questionable material.
“They would pull you up on anything they found, and children were encouraged to tell if we said anything considered improper. Anything they remotely considered immoral was vetoed. You couldn’t get anywhere with requests for material … they don’t want students thinking too much.”
“They have every resource money can buy, as long as its approved, which of course means many are not. Everything goes through a committee for approval or censoring. The library is full of books with pages ripped out.”
More recently, male students had been studying at university level through extramural classes, but the focus was on business and legal fields, said Lineham. “They have enormous bills for accountants and legal bills.”
Read the full article at Sect pupils in a class of their own
Why are the Exclusive Brethren scared?
University is designed to help people think for themselves, look outside themselves, consider other points of view and to … be mentally and psychologically free.
No cult could ever allow such a thing! From the Exclusive Brethren perspective, this is a fully understandable decision – they have to protect their future workforce, and … how else will the Exclusive Brethren grow in numbers? They don’t marry outsiders and they don’t recruit new members. They have to protect their future – it’s simply economic common sense!
What is not understandable is why governments would use tax-payer money to assist the process.
It is very sad that the taxpayers have not caught on to this inappropriate use of their money. If they have that much money, there are many other charities such as Doctors Without Borders that they could donate it to and not to the self-serving perpetuation of the Exclusive Brethren or for any other religious organization.