Our approach to Christian religious education involves helping students pass through three important learning steps:

QUESTION.

We believe asking questions is the key to learning. Our teachers aim to build an environment of trust, where students are encouraged to ask questions about the Christian faith and its relevance to life.

EXPLORE.

Students are encouraged to explore questions of faith, life and values in relation to their own personal beliefs and the broader worldviews found in society today as well as in the past. This exploration brings deeper comprehension.

DISCOVER.

Discovery is when knowledge and information come alive. When students draw their own conclusions about faith, values and the place of Christianity in society, they can make decisions about life and how they feel it should be lived.

Underpinning our approach to Christian religious education is a supportive framework which ensures:

• Teachers and Co-ordinators of Christian SRE receive training, curriculum materials, and access to resources, information and support to help them in their roles;
• Parents are informed about how Christian SRE works and what they can expect when their child attends Christian SRE; and
• Schools are aware of the requirements of SRE and their options for implementing it.

What is SRE?

Special Religious Education (SRE) allows students in NSW public schools to question, explore and make important discoveries about the Christian faith.

It’s specialised.

Christian SRE is about the essentials of the Christian faith and their significance for life, delivered by teachers from the Christian faiths. This “Special” religious education is different to “General” religious education which is provided by school teachers and covers a variety of religious beliefs. SRE SRE allows children to delve deeper, and discover meaningful conclusions as they explore the Christian faith with specialised Christian teachers.

It’s beneficial.

Christian SRE provides students with the opportunity to learn through exploring the Christian faith and considering what it means to them. They will reflect on life and how they feel it should be lived, and in the process, will discover more about the values and beliefs underpinning much of the history, laws and values of Australia. Christian SRE is about personal exploration, but it also contributes to key learning areas such as geography, history and literacy.

It’s delivered by approved providers.

The Department of Education requires that SRE only be delivered by ‘approved providers’. These are churches or religious organisations who have been granted permission to authorise SRE teachers to deliver SRE in local schools on their behalf. All member churches of CSRE are approved providers and our teachers work to strict requirements.

When a CSRE-appointed teacher delivers SRE, parents and schools can trust the students in their care will receive high quality, engaging and beneficial teaching, as they question, explore and discover the Christian faith.

Who are we?

CSRE (aka Scripture) is about delivering Christian special religious education in NSW public schools that teaches children to question, explore and discover the Christian faith.

Behind CSRE is a group of churches who are passionate about ensuring children in NSW schools receive relevant and engaging Christian religious education from trained, professional and well-resourced teachers.

CSRE member churches are united behind a commitment to high quality, Bible-based curriculum, and the SRE teachers and coordinators they appoint are held to specific requirements and standards.

The CSRE approach (see above) is to provide special religious education for students that:

• encourages them to ask QUESTIONS about the Christian faith and its relevance to life;
• enables them to EXPLORE their own personal beliefs and the broader worldviews in our society; and
• helps them DISCOVER their own conclusions about faith, values and Christianity.

For further information about the churches who together form CSRE, visit the ICCOREIS website.

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