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.
Our Schools SRE Program
Our school has an extensive range of denominations for our SRE program which are students engaged in every Wednesday. The SRE representatives are professionally trained and share their talented and passion with our school.
The following SRE groups are represented at our school:
- Buddhist
- Muslim
- Protestant
- Catholic
- Ethics
Students are taught values in their belief of choice in an inclusive classroom environment.
Protestant Christian SRE
Students today live in a fast-changing, uncertain world, filled with confusing messages about who to trust and what to believe. SRE gives them a safe place to explore and discover the Bible’s answers to their big questions, and SRE teachers support and guide them on their path of faith. There are beneificial reasons to enrol your child in Christian Special Religious Education ('SRE'), even if you are not a Christian:
- Christian SRE provides a wonderful opportunity for your child to explore spiritual and life issues.
- Christian SRE enables your child to find answers to spiritual and life questions as well as help to develop their ethical and moral framework.
- Christian SRE provides a way for your child to be supported pastorally.
Christian SRE is taught by volunteers (from local churches and approved by the leaders of those churches) who have a passion for teaching children about Jesus. They regularly receive training in the teaching of children. They only use authorised material from curricula prepared by teaching professionals. You can find the curricula used by the teachers at: http://www.whysre.com.au/sre-curriculum/cep-curriculum-overview/
If you would like to discuss Christian SRE, the program or join the team of dedicated teachers and helpers please contact: Mrs. Pearl Koo m:0414 275 864 (Combined Protestant SRE co-ordinator).
Catholic
Catholic Special Religious Education (SRE) is when Catechists (also known as Scripture Teachers) teach children about Jesus and his message in the Gospel. Children are taught a positive message that we are all created by a loving God who sees us full of potential and capable of being a force for good in our world. Children are encouraged to develop a relationship with Jesus to help them make moral choices and develop values.
The Catholic SRE program is called "Christ our Light and Life" and is approved by the Archdiocese of Sydney in liaison with educational experts. Our Catechists are approved, authorised and trained to teach this program. The curriculum outline and the contents of our lessons can be viewed on the website of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Sydney at: http://www.ccdsydney.catholic.edu.au/currRes.html
If you would like to discuss Catholic SRE, or the program, please contact Christ the King Parish at North Rocks on telephone 9873 4340 or view our parish website at https://northrockscatholic.org.au
Ethics
Ethics classes are offered for students K-6 and are run by trained community members as an alternative to non-scripture. A wide range of topics are covered in the ethics curriculum and are appropriate to the particular level of development for each age group. The aim of ethics classes is to help children develop their ethical and moral reasoning skills, to recognise ethical issues and to engage in ethical discussion in class and throughout their lives. Further information is available at: www.primaryethics.com.au
Islamic
We cater for children of all Islamic backgrounds, teaching them the basic foundations common to all Muslims. We are also trained in cultural and religious sensitivity, which helps us understand what topics to discuss within the diverse environment of the classroom. One of our techniques in teaching Islam is to read stories to the class, from which children can learn a moral. Stories about the past can offer your children the chance to become well-behaved citizens of society.
The Islamic scripture curriculum is based around four main aspects:
- Islamic events
- Good manners
- Islamic practices common to all Muslims, and Living harmoniously within society while practising Islam in Australia
For further information please go to https://www.isre.org.au/
Buddhist
The Hwa Tsang Monastery has been accredited to provide Special Religious Education (SRE) to Primary and High School for the NSW Department of Education since 1997. Currently we provide SRE teaching to nine schools in Sydney.
Under the direction of the Abbot, authorized Venerables and volunteers from Hwa Tsang Monastery have provided Special Religious Education teaching to NSW public schools for the past twenty years. The monastery views this education, and support, for our younger generation, as very important.
The monastery SRE Committee has since compiled a primary school Buddhist syllabus, using the Junior Buddhist Studies and Senior Buddhist Studies, written by Venerable Yin Shun. Some supplementary materials have been added to suit the society, and culture of Australia.
For further information please go to: http://www.htm.org.au/index.php/en/education/religious-studies-and-sre