Possible appeal in religion in schools ruling

This after the High Court in Johannesburg ruled that public schools cannot promote any one religion. 

The Organisation for Religious Education and Democracy (OGOD) took six Christian schools to court over the promotion of religion in their institutions. 

Judge Willem van der Linde's orders state that rules and policies of School Governing Bodies (SGB) must comply with principles in legislation and the constitution. 

This means neither an School Governing Body (SGB) nor public school may lawfully say it subscribes to a single religion.

"Something more needs to be said about diversity, particularly in the context of public schools. Public schools are juristic entities and organs of state. The constitution recognises that the society within which public schools function is diverse," says Judge Willem van der Linde.

Trade union Solidarity's Juran van der Heever says they may appeal.

"Our members, that's teachers in schools and specifically Christian schools, it's important to them to teach children with Christian values they are comfortable with," says Van der Heever.

The African Christian Democratic Party''s (ACDP) Kenneth Meshoe says they welcome the ruling.

"One of the things that I noticed was that the court said schools must go back to the drawing board. They must come back with a clear policy. They didn't say they must not have religious observances," says Meshoe.