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Special Religious Education (SRE)
Special Religious Education (SRE) is the program as part of NSW Government Schools for children to learn in their religious tradition and aims to nurture the spiritual wellbeing of students. SRE is taught by trained representatives, often from several religions, recognising the diversity of the school community.
The NSW Department of Education overseas the SRE program and those teaching SRE must by trained and authorised by an Approved Provider of SRE.
The full list of NSW Approved Providers of SRE can be accessed here
Parents or Guardians are required to give permission for their children to attend the Special Religious Education Classes, usually via the school enrolment form or a notice sent to parents/guardians to indicate which SRE classes they would like their children to attend.
The ACT Churches’ Council recognises that the Education Act 2004 affirms the place of Christian Education in Schools (CEIS) in the ACT.
Section 29 of the current ACT Government Education Act 2004:
If parents of children at a government school ask the principal for their children to receive religious education in a particular religion, the principal must ensure that reasonable time is allowed for their children’s religious education in that religion.
For more information see:
SRE teachers and helpers are volunteers from local congregations who could be lay volunteers, ministers, or youth/children/family workers who have a heart for teaching children and young people about Christian faith. Local church congregations are responsible for initiating and maintaining Special Religious Education in their local schools where this is a ministry supported by the congregation vision.
Congregations and teachers who are involved in SRE have support from Synod of NSW & ACT, who are responsible for the oversight of SRE in NSW Uniting Churches and accountable back to the Department of Education and Communities as the ‘Approved Provider of SRE’ for Uniting Churches in NSW.
SRE teachers must be recommended by their minister or Church Council, have a valid Working with Children Check, valid Child Protection/Safe Church Training and SRE Teacher Basic training modules and ongoing training.
A person may apply to volunteer to become an SRE teacher on behalf of their congregation and the Uniting Church. The minister and church council must consider the suitability of each volunteer. Volunteering does not necessarily mean becoming an SRE teacher as certain requirements need to be met (via the authorisation process) to ensure the children in schools can receive quality SRE and volunteer teachers are adequately prepared and supported in their roles. This includes SRE training to ensure representatives are equipped and prepared for their role as an SRE teacher in a school.
The Synod (Uniting Church NSW and ACT) has an authorisation process in place to help Scripture teachers and their congregations to comply with the regulations set out by the Department of Education and Communities.
All SRE teachers and helpers must be appropriately authorised to enter any government school to teach SRE.
The SRE authorisation process must be followed not just by volunteer SRE teachers, but also Ministers, Youth Workers, Deacons, helpers and SRE relief teachers.
Our Partnering for SRE booklet contains the Authorisation and preparation process.
You can begin to apply for SRE Authorisation at any time, but you will need to have completed your requirements including training before you can be authorised to go into Schools to teach SRE.
Steps:
- Obtain support from the Minister or other authorising agent for your local Church Council.
- Obtain Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number. Applications online: www.ocg.nsw.gov.au
- Attend an SCTA Endorsed Safe Church Workshop Training calendars online
- Participate in SRE training. Individuals with prior learning relevant to SRE teaching can provide evidence of this to apply for Recognition of their Prior Learning. More information
- Local Church Authorising Agent to complete the SRE Local Church Support Form
- Complete and sign a Uniting Church SRE Application for Engagement Form
- Email both forms and supporting certificates to sre@nswact.uca.org.au
- Completed forms are reviewed by Uniting Church Secretariat. If requirements are met an SRE Authorisation card is issued, which is valid up to 3 years. If requirements are not met, an interim card will be issued valid for 6 months (Safe Church and Modules 1, 6 and 7 must be completed)
- Local authorising agent to send a letter to the school/s where you intend to teach SRE, advising them of your authorisation. This SRE authorisation confirmation letter MUST use the supplied template available from the website. Form to be sent directly to the school copied to sre@nswact.uca.org.au
- SRE authorisation card to be displayed when at school for SRE to show you have authorisation from an approved provider of SRE.
*Note: The SRE Authorisation card must be issued by the NSW & ACT Synod and is required to be displayed when at the school.
For SRE in NSW, the Department of Education and Communities requires that each denomination ensure that all SRE teachers have access to and complete training relevant to SRE teaching, particularly for classroom management and child protection. Through inter-denominational cooperation, SRE teacher training courses are offered by a variety of providers and in most cases cross-accredited by that teachers authorising denomination. In recent years, most SRE basic training certificate modules and full courses have been run in partnership with the Baptist Association of NSW/ACT.
Please see the SRE Teacher Training page for dates and further information.
All SRE teachers must show evidence of relevant Safe Church training and an observed lesson before they can renew their authorisation. If you are unsure what is counted as relevant training, please contact the Uniting Church State SRE Coordinator: sre@nswact.uca.org.au