The Education Act 1990 states 'in every government school, time is to be allowed for the religious education of children of any religious persuasion'. Special educaiton in ethics (SEE) is offered as a secular alternative to special religious education.
Special religious education (SRE) is education in the beliefs and practices of an approved religious persuasion. Special education in ethics (SEE) is a program in ethical decision making, action and reflection within a secular framework. At Kiama Public school we currently offer the following SRE classes as well as the SEE course provided by Primary Ethics:
Protestant (Church of England, Presbyterian, Methodist) https://godspace.org.au/
Special Religious Education (SRE) has been a regular part of the public education system in NSW for over 130 years.
Christian churches are committed to working with the NSW Govt. and Dept. of Education and Communities to ensure that well trained and resourced SRE teachers deliver sound programmes that enable parents to confidently choose Christian SRE for their children.
Each week in NSW, over 10,000 volunteer Christian SRE teachers are involved teaching approx. 200,000 students.
Here at Kiama PS, authorised leaders and volunteers from Kiama Baptist and Kiama Anglican Churches come to teach Protestant SRE. Our approved programs are publicly available on church websites.
Deb Baker, who is the children's and families worker at Kiama Anglican, has been teaching Kindergarten SRE for the past few years. Deb has a B. Ed. in Early Childhood and a Diploma of Theology through Anglican Youthworks.
Our teachers love coming to school each week. We want to affirm that each child is unique and of great worth to God and we want to examine how the teachings of Jesus call us to live lives of faith, humility, generosity, forgiveness and love.
For more information about the Catholic SRE curriculum please contact the Combined Christian SRE Rev Grant Wilson 0490 039 397
Roman Catholic www.ccdwollongong.com
Catholic SRE teachers (also known as Catechists) are authorised by the local parish and trained by the Diocese of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic SRE curriculum is approved by the Bishop of the Diocese in liaison with religious education experts. Lessons include activities that are fun and inclusive for students, whilst also providing them the opportunity to critically explore in depth their faith and to pray and reflect.
Catholic SRE teachers engage young people in hearing the Good News about Jesus Christ and learning the key elements of our Christian life and culture. Catechists teach the children of God’s love for them and how to be in a close relationship with Him. They help young people to make Christ-like choices in the way they live and act, teach them about responsible behaviour with the importance of treating people the way they themselves like to be treated.
For more information about the Catholic SRE curriculum please contact the Catholic SRE Coordinator Gai Delavere on 0401 468 209.
Primary Ethics https://primaryethics.com.au/
Helping children develop skills for life.
Ethics classes support children to develop a life-long capacity for making well-reasoned decisions about ethical issues. Through the give-and-take of reasoned argument students learn to disagree respectfully, to challenge ideas and to support their arguments with considered evidence rather than according to habit or peer pressure. Our volunteer ethics teachers use detailed lesson materials which present a range of stories, scenarios and questions to generate discussion. Ethics teachers are trained to impartially facilitate student discussions, helping students develop their critical thinking and collaborative inquiry skills. Ethics teachers support student learning by:
modelling the inquiry process – by asking questions and encouraging discussion
showing genuine curiosity and interest in the questions being discussed
staying neutral – ethics teachers are trained to keep their own views out of the discussion
creating a positive learning environment – by allowing students time to think, encouraging students to share ideas and give reasons
The Special Education in Ethics program is provided by Primary Ethics. You can find out more information about the program from Darren Fernandes on 0401 563 136 and the Primary Ethics Website.
Islamic Special Religious Education
What is Islamic Special Religious Education?
Carrying the noble Islamic tradition of seeking knowledge and teaching, ISRE is an educational program dedicated to providing Islamic education to Muslim students in NSW Public Schools. ISRE is a project offered through the Islamic Council of NSW
(ICNSW) and has been running since the early 1980’s. ICNSW is an approved Special Religious Education provider with the Department of Education and Communities.
What is the Islamic Special Religious Education program?
The ISRE lessons provide a specifically tailored Islamic education program for Muslim students from kindergarten through to year 12. The program is designed to teach Muslim students the basics of Islam, nurture them to develop a strong sense of identity and purpose and inspire them to lead productive lives by contributing positively to themselves, their communities, their society and the world. The ISRE program is non-sectarian and is provided to all Muslims students, regardless of their sectarian groupings. The aim of ISRE is to teach students to love, learn and live Islam.
Where do I get further information?
For further information about the program can be found at www.isre.org.au. You can also email us at info@isre.org.au or call (02) 9708 0880. You’re also welcome to visit our office located at - 2/14 French Avenue Bankstown NSW 2200.
The SRE and SEE programs are taught by volunteers from organisations approved by the Department of Education. They are often parents, grandparents, carers or lay volunteers from a local congregation. The volunteers undergo a police background check, a working with children check and have been trained by the SRE or SEE organisations. Our classes are held on Wednesdays. Children not attending either SRE or SEE undertake self directed activities, ie. no work is set by the classroom teachers during this time. If you would like to change the course your child is currently enrolled in, please send a written request to the office.
For more information visit Religion and ethics.