A referendum was held in South Australia on 25 April 1896, and dealt with matters relating to secular and religious education.

In 1895, Robert Caldwell, an Anglican Member of the House of Assembly called for a poll to be conducted, asking the opinion of the parents of state school children on the matter.

The resolution was amended to extend the poll to all voters, and to include the question of capitation grants for non-state schools.

However, Frederick Holder and Premier Charles Kingston moved that each part be considered separately.

[1] The Anglican bishop of Adelaide John Harmer, who had been an advocate of both scriptural instruction in schools and the capitation grant, distributed a pastoral letter to his diocese in the wake of the referendum, conceding that the result had decisively shown that these reforms would be unlikely to gain support.