Religious schools face criticism over conflicting lessons

Conflicting Teachings on Religion and Equality
In these schools, the students hear they may choose to live however they want to live; however, they must ultimately obey God. They learn about the theory of evolution, but they are also taught that the theory is untrue, and in some schools, they are taught that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. Reformed Christian schools include lessons about equality; however, they imply traditional roles, where men are "the head" and women must be "submissive" and avoid leadership. The Islamic texts stress respect and prohibit mockery of other religions; however, there are texts that could be construed as anti-Semitic, referring to "the people of Israel" as "the Jews" and saying they became wealthy by lending to the poor.

Some Islamic school boards are affirming they do not use such texts anymore and are affirming other boards were just giving context to such texts and balancing messages referring to democratic values. The Islamic Schools Board confirmed that textual work was being revised and the controversial sections would be removed.

LGBTQ+ Issues and Religious Beliefs
Across religious schools, despite lessons on non-discrimination, both Reformed Christian and Islamic schools are non-accepting of individuals in same-sex relationships. For instance, boys in Reformed Christian schools cannot hold hands on the playground; however, boys and girls can hold hands. An Islamic textbook explains Muslims cannot marry someone of the same sex, and the text warns that marriages of this nature can result in "social disruption" or even "serious diseases."

According to school administrators, gay teachers in a same-sex relationship cannot teach at Reformed Christian schools, and teachers in such relationships will be fired. Reformed schools are still vestiges of the 16th-century Dutch Confession of Faith that calls on the government to "exclude and eradicate false religions." There are textbooks that describe Catholic Mass as "accursed idolatry," and then at the leadership level, school administrators call Islam a "false religion."

Oversight and Expert Concerns
The recent political discourse has also pushed for broader oversight of these religious schools and weekend schools, particularly when there is concern of discrimination. Politicians argue that there are children's rights when there are colliding freedoms. The Ministry of Education noted that conflicts in fundamental rights cannot be avoided; with that stated, the Ministry of Education noted that democracy also teaches children to learn how to deal with a conflict when two fundamental freedoms collide.

Experts disagree, saying this is a simplistic view. As theological scholar Abdullahi An-Na'im stated, due to a historical connection involving the psychological and emotional element of religion, religious beliefs will reign supreme in a religious school. Abdullahi An-Na'im also noted that communities where these notions are rooted or strongly connected to religious beliefs also see very limited influence from the state or anyone else that disputes these assumptions, producing an unequal footing between traditional religious beliefs and democratic values.