HRLA works with Christian schools across Australia, including in Western Australia, helping them protect their Christian ethos while navigating complex employment and discrimination laws.

We see firsthand how important existing religious freedom protections are, and how difficult it is becoming for Christian schools to maintain their distinctive character.

Now, proposed legislation in Western Australia threatens to make that task considerably harder.

The Cook Government has introduced the Equal Opportunity Bill 2026, a sweeping rewrite of the state's anti-discrimination laws that would significantly restrict the freedom of Christian schools to make decisions consistent with their religious beliefs.

Under the proposal, religious schools would retain some protections allowing them to give preference to staff who share their faith when hiring.

However, those exemptions would generally no longer extend to other protected attributes, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

Once a staff member is employed, schools would face additional restrictions on requiring conformity with their religious doctrines. They would need to demonstrate that religious conformity is an inherent requirement of the position and that any discriminatory action is reasonable and proportionate.

These changes strike at the heart of what makes a Christian school Christian.

A school's religious character is not confined to its chapel services or religious education classes. It should shape the entire school community, including the values upheld by teachers, administrators and support staff.

Christian schools are an important part of Australia's education system, providing parents with a genuine choice about how their children are educated.

That choice is protected by international human rights law, including Article 18(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which recognises the liberty of parents to ensure their children's religious and moral education accords with their convictions.

This is fundamentally a matter of freedom of religion and freedom of association.

Earlier this month, HRLA reported on Maryka Groenewald MLC’s My Christian School Story campaign, which encourages Western Australian families and school communities to tell politicians why Christian education matters.

With the legislation now before Parliament, those voices are more important than ever.

The proposal also follows Allegra Spender’s federal bill, which similarly threatens existing protections for faith-based schools.

HRLA will continue helping Christian schools develop strong legal frameworks to protect their ethos and operate within the law.

But religious freedom means more than just the freedom to teach Christian beliefs. It must include the freedom to put those beliefs into practice.

Without that freedom, Christian schools risk becoming Christian in name only.