New frontiers of religious education

From 1793 to 1848, education was provided solely by the Church of England, as the First Fleet chaplain, Rev. Richard Johnson, stated "If any hopes are to be formed of any reformation being affected in this Colony, I believe it must begin amongst those of the rising generation". Australia’s establishment as a penal colony focused attention on the need for moral education. Samuel Marsden, who succeeded Johnson as chaplain, agreed. "The future hopes of this colony depend upon the rising generation. Little can be expected from the convicts who are grown old in vice, but much may be done for their children under proper instruction". Both men came to Australia as missionaries of the Church of England Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPGFP). As early as 1795, the opinion was recorded in the minutes of the Society that: "The most likely means of effecting a reformation must be by paying all the attention that can be to the instruction and morals of the rising generation". Implicit within these polarisations is the concept of indoctrination within education. Whatever the stance one takes, Protestant, Catholic or Secularist, one will find supporting arguments from one’s own epistemology that seem utterly convincing that one’s epistemology must be indoctrinated into public education. And by necessity the dominant epistemology will provide direction for moral education, with undisputed antagonism between those holding other epistemologies.