SRE & RI
Special Religious Education (SRE) and Religious Instruction (RI) provide students in public primary and high schools with the opportunity to explore the Christian faith from the Bible.
Using authorised curricula, SRE Teachers and Christian RI Instructors are trained and equipped to teach classes and run lessons for students whose parents or caregivers are happy for them to be involved.
Working alongside peak body organisations and different Christian denominations, SU Australia is committed to supporting local churches in the delivery of SRE in New South Wales and Christian RI in the Northern Territory and Queensland.
We do this particularly in partnership with local interdenominational SRE/RI Boards and Sub-Committees by employing Teachers, Instructors and Coordinators on their behalf. This provides a supportive structure to help to ensure these staff are well equipped so that SRE/RI classes can be delivered locally in a cohesive, professional and engaging manner.
In their research book, “Special Religious Education in Australia and its Value to Contemporary Society” (2021), Professors Zehavit Gross and Suzanne Rutland highlighted that Special Religious Education provides key benefits to students, including:
- An effective values-based education;
- Important psychological benefits;
- Strengthening the multicultural fabric of schools;
- Creating safe places for students to explore deeper questions of identity.
In Christian SRE and RI classes, students can discover, question and engage with the message of the Bible and the Christian faith in a welcoming and safe environment.
For more information on the Christian SRE and Christian RI programs near you, please contact your relevant state or territory peak body organisation or denomination. If you wish to discover more about what partnering with SU Australia in this space looks like: