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This page is about Special Religious Education (SRE). Not to be confused with Religious Education.

Not to be confused with Religious studies.

Special Religious Education (SRE) in NSW Government Schools

Student working in their SRE scripture workbook

Special Religious Education (SRE) is a class students attend to learn about the beliefs, practices, values and morals of a particular chosen religion. Time is allocated within NSW government schools for qualified SRE volunteers to teach students about their chosen religion.

SRE can also be referred to as 'School Scripture' and though it is offered in NSW government schools to attend, it isn’t offered in all schools. The SRE teachers guide the students through a range of studies each week.

The NSW Department of Education and The Education Act both support the work of Special Religious Education in government schools, by putting policies and procedures into place.

Although SRE has been around since the 19th century, there has always been an ongoing debate on its place in schools and an alternative has been provided for parents who would prefer for their children to not attend religious education classes.

Background

SRE depending on the school can provide a range of various religious providers for parent's students to choose from. These classes give students an opportunity to ask questions about the world they live in, explore values and morals, and discover various religions. In these scripture classes, students understanding of religions are developed and deepened allowing them to make conclusions on what they learn. The service of conducting religious education in NSW government schools is not funded by the Government, therefore SRE teachers are volunteers who teach students on a particular faith once a week, every two weeks or on occasion. The school provides time within its teaching hours for the volunteers of their religion to come in and teach the students about that religion. The time allocated to the volunteers to teach can vary in each government school, it can range from 30 to 45 minute lessons.

History

SRE has been provided in NSW government schools for students since the 19th century.

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Rationale

The NSW Department of Education outlines the importance of learning religion in government schools curriculums, such schools have a duty of teaching religious education to its students.

The Education Act 1990 No 8 is a NSW legislation that was written on the base that "every child has the right to receive an education", that "the education of a child is primarily the responsibility of the child's parents", and that "it is the duty of the State to ensure that every child receives an education of the highest quality". The Act also states under Section 32 that "in every government school, time is to be allowed for the religious education of children of any religious persuasion", however the legislation also shares with a following section on objection, stating that "no child at a government school is to be required to receive any general religious education or special religious education if the parent of the child objects to the child's receiving that education".

Educators

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Qualifications

SRE teachers are required to undergo some training before they are allowed to teach students.

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Providers

The NSW Government provides a list of groups that are permitted to enter public schools and teach various religions. Such providers may include local churches or faith-based organisations. There are 101 providers that the NSW Department of Education has approved in providing SRE classes in public schools.

The majority of SRE classes are providers from the Christian faith that being 87 out of 101, and the remaining 14 from seven other faith types. These groups involve Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha'i Vedic and Sikh. The main Christian faith groups in order of quantity include Evangelical, Catholic, Baptist, Anglican and Presbyterian.

Due to the location and population of each government school, not every religion may be available in every school, and since the teachers who are teaching these SRE classes are volunteers that also can limit the options that parents can choose from for their students to attend. In 2015 there were approximately 11,400 approved SRE teachers, with 3% of them being paid.

List of providers

• Anglican Church of Australia
• Baha'i
• Independent Baptist
• Buddhist
• Catholic
• Evangelical Churches
• Hindu
• Independent Christian Church
• Islamic
• Jewish
• Lutheran
• Methodist
• Seventh-Day Adventist
• Uniting Church in Australia

Statistics

In 2015 a review of SRE in NSW Government schools was conducted. The results showed that 87% of schools were delivering SRE classes, 92% of them being primary and 81% secondary schools.

Percentage of each religion taught in schools

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Controversies

There has been an ongoing debate surrounding SRE on whether it should be happening in schools.

Catherine Byrne, wrote for the ABC in 2010 about SRE providing religious groups with the ability "to use this access privilege to enter public schools and spend an hour each week delivering content that is important to them ... to deliver such instruction so freely, unhindered by government regulation". Additionally, a survey was taken in 2010 stating that "70 percent of parents and educators felt that SRE delivered important lessons in values". The other side of the argument shares that SRE is giving Christianity an advantage, plus parents are concerned with discrimination and segregation.

Four years later, Chris Ashton addressed in the same news that SRE is called "special" rather than "general" religious education potentially due to it being limited in its participation.

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The CEO of Christian SRE, Murray Norman in an interview stated the importance of having scripture classes in schools. He shared that it is an opportunity where students can learn about the values parents want their children to grow in and such morals can be found in teaching faith.

However, many people would disagree with Murray on his statements. The news has covered people's controversial opinions on SRE over the years.

A challenge that SRE faces is its reputation of being 'old-fashioned' and 'out dated'. Parents have expressed their concern for its importance and state that it is neglecting class time for teaching other topics.

Maurie Mulheron, the NSW Teachers' Federation president said that the union supports SRE in schools, however "teachers had concerns about the 'dead time' for students who chose not to attend scripture".

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Cathy Byrne addresses that the debate of SRE in schools needs to take into consideration all factors of religion being taught and that people need to think about the ways in which we maybe able to improve SRE.

Alternative

The Education Act 1990 states that an alternative class that government schools can provide students with attending is in the teaching of ethics instead of faith.

If parents prefer there children to not attend a religious teaching lesson they are enabled to have them attend a substitute called Special Education in Ethics (SEE). Schools are required to make this other class available to students whose parent object in sending their children to an SRE class.

See also

• Christian views on the classics
• Freedom of education
• Religion and children
• Religious school
• Religious studies
• State religion
• Religious education in primary and secondary education
• Religious Education