NSW public schools offer special religious education and special education in ethics, delivered by approved providers wherever available.
During enrolment, you can choose a special religious education option for your child from the school’s available approved providers. You can withdraw your child from special religious education by selecting alternative meaningful activities, or special education in ethics if it’s available.
You can update your preference by writing to the school or through the online form available at participating schools.
Visit the department’s website for more information about religion and ethics.
Combined Christian SRE is provided by SRE teachers from different Christian denominations and churches. The approved providers in this combined arrangement are provided by Anglican Diocese of Newcastle; Associated Christian Ministries; Baptist Union of NSW; Churches of Christ in NSW (Fresh Hope); Lutheran Church of Australia, NSW District (Rhodes); Peninsula Evangelical Church Inc. (Woy Woy); Presbyterian Church of Australia (NSW); The Salvation Army; Uniting Church in Australia (NSW Synod). All Christian SRE teachers are authorised and trained by an approved provider.
The Christian SRE curriculum is authorised by Anglican Diocese of Sydney. The curriculum is based on Good News about Jesus Christ and learning the key elements of our Christian life and culture and can be found at https://sre.org.au/thinkfaith SRE engages students in conversations as they question life, explore values and discover faith.
High school ethics classes are available for Year 7 students. SEE is provided by Primary Ethics, the single approved provider of SEE to the NSW Department of Education public schools. For more information about SEE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the Primary Ethics website (https://primaryethics.com.au/high-schools/).
Further information about Special Religious Education (SRE)
These procedures define respective responsibilities and emphasize the need to implement special religious education in a flexible way based on consultation and cooperation. Discussions with the NSW Department of Education and Communities Consultative Committee for Special Religious Education have also been considered. Special religious education is education in the beliefs and practices of an approved religious persuasion by authorised representatives of that persuasion.
General religious education is education about the world’s major religions, what people believe and how that belief affects their lives. It is taught mainly through the school curriculum. Religious persuasions must have the approval of the Minister for Education to deliver special religious education. The provision of special religious education is not government funded.
The principal is not responsible for, and does not disseminate details of, lesson content for special religious education, but will provide the name and contact details of the approved provider or their local representative.
It is the responsibility of an approved provider to:
· authorise the materials and pedagogy used by special religious education teachers
· provide an annual assurance to the NSW Department of Education and Communities that authorised teachers are only using materials and pedagogy authorised by the provider
· make lesson content accessible on a website or at least provide a program outline and curriculum scope and sequence documents
· provide information about the content of lessons when requested by parents/caregivers/principals.
Students not attending special religious education
In the times set aside for special religious education, students not attending are located in a separate physical space from special religious education classes.
Schools provide meaningful activities with appropriate care and supervision. These activities neither compete with special religious education nor are they lessons in the curriculum. Suitable activities include reading, private study and completing homework.
Provision of special religious education
Principals allow time for special religious education where authorised representatives of approved providers are available.
Special religious education is an integral part of school activities, taking place in school hours and under the jurisdiction of the school.
Principals support special religious education by ensuring that no academic instruction or formal school activities occur during time set aside for special religious education. Such activities create conflict of choice for some parents and students attending special religious education.
Timing of special religious education
Special religious education is organised by negotiation and agreement between the principal and the approved religious providers.
On average, not less than 30 minutes and not more than one hour of meaningful teaching time per week should be allocated for special religious education.
Student behaviour management
Principals and teachers retain duty of care for students and intervene in cases where it is necessary to maintain good order and conduct.
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