Special Religious Education

Introduction

Special Religious Education is a voluntary program in State Schools in New South Wales.

The details on this page are provided at the request of the New South Wales Department of Education.

Special Religious Education (or Scripture Classes as it is better known) complements the general education of Serbian Orthodox children. Scripture classes focus on an Orthodox way of life and identity.

The lessons include much more than Bible knowledge.

These are not classes on ethics.

They help develop the religious sense of each child. For instance, they are shown how to pray, how to make the sign of the Cross and the importance of the Sacraments in our life.

Children are taught the hymns of the Church. They are acquainted with the Liturgy and Feasts of the Orthodox Church.

The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand encourages all its members to be involved in Special Religious Education to enrich local school communities.

Participation is free and entirely voluntary and only at the discretion of the parents or guardians.

The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand is a Department of Education approved provider and is also a member of the Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools (NSW).

Modes of Delivery

The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand authorises trained volunteers to deliver an approved curriculum. Teachers must have the appropriate Working with Children Check and evidence of their clearance is kept on record in the Metropolitanate.

A system is in place to ensure that all special religious education teachers attend initial and ongoing training in classroom management and child protection issues.

Recommended Curriculum

The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand has authorised the material and pedagogy used by teachers. This is the “Orthodoxy ABC” curriculum.

A summary of the curriculum for primary and high school can be found here.

There may be minor variations in the delivery of the program across schools due to timetables or combined classes.

Other sites of assistance in understanding curriculum issues are ICCOREIS, the Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools (NSW) Inc.

Parents and caregivers are very welcome to view the lessons that their child is taught by consulting their local priest.

For more information, contact the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand or your local parish.

The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate Of Australia And New Zealand

Teacher Authorisation Processes

Verification Of WWCC Clearance

In keeping with current child protection legislation, all SRE teachers are required to apply for a WWCC and obtain a clearance number. Approved providers must keep relevant WWCC documents for five years after the employment or engagement has been completed.

Child Protection Training

It is an approved provider’s responsibility to ensure that all SRE teachers have participated in an initial child protection induction and annual update. This is to ensure that SRE teachers are aware of their obligation to advise the principal or workplace manager of concerns about the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people that arise during the course of their work. SRE teachers are mandatory reporters of suspected risk of significant harm and of the procedures for doing so.

Awareness Of Department Of Education’s Code Of Conduct

The Code of Conduct clarifies the standards of behaviour that is expected of all SRE teachers in the performance of their duties. It gives guidance in areas where staff need to make personal and ethical decisions.

Completion Of Basic Training

SRE approved providers ensure that all SRE teachers have access to basic training standards. The basic training includes context, knowledge of authorised curriculum, classroom management and the importance of continued professional learning. The Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church provides the school with a letter which details the name of authorised teacher(s), date of birth and contact details. The letter is updated annually before the start of term one, or as required.

Statement In Relation To Specific Crimes

Each approved provider has given an undertaking that any SRE teacher authorised to enter NSW Government schools has not had a criminal conviction for any crime against a minor, a conviction for violence, sexual assault or for providing prohibited drugs.

Sre Teacher Review

The Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church review SRE teachers through teacher self reflection and mentor support. The review process will guide the focus for ongoing teacher training and the topics identified will be included in the annual assurance to the department.

Outline Of The Special Religious Education (SRE) Curriculum Of The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate Of Australia And New Zealand For Public Schools In New South Wales

The purpose of this document is to outline the curriculum content for Serbian Orthodox special religious education to the general public. It is a requirement of the Department of Education in New South Wales.

This is an outline of the 2019 program that endeavours to cover the key aspects of the Christian Orthodox faith. This Curriculum is reviewed every five years.

Aims and Goals

The program is designed to support the educational aims of public education for Orthodox Christian students, namely:

To complement the existing curriculum with specific knowledge, skills or attitudes;
To provide instruction in a specialised area (i.e., related to the Serbian Orthodox faith); and
To develop interest in religion as a discipline or field of study in its own right
There are five broad social goals:
To promote the individual freedom of the child;
To create an attitude of religious tolerance in the school;
To accept everyone of all faiths;
To reinforce the human right to religion; and
To establish religiousness as an aspect of positive citizenship
There are five broad spiritual goals:
To establish the importance of the human soul;
To recognise that life is a great gift;
To promote the happiness of the child;
To foster the value of a religious outlook on life; and
To encourage a sacramental life in children

Topics and Learning Outcomes

This document outlines the lesson content or topic for the 2019 Infants, 2019 Primary and 2019 High School stages. The Infants and Primary lessons are accompanied by the “Orthodoxy ABC” series of workbooks produced by the Metropolitanate. Use of these workbooks is optional.

Emphasis

The emphasis in this curriculum is spiritual. It is not merely a matter of acquiring knowledge or facts like in some other school subjects. Religion is entirely different. Nor is it merely a course on ethics.

There is an emphasis on the individual freedom of the learner to absorb whatever they can at this stage in their religious development. The emphasis is on developing a Christian Orthodox identity.

Features and Content

This background cannot always be provided thoroughly in the home. Some features of the overall curriculum that are worthy of attention are:

The program offers an educational scaffold for learners
The program is multivariate in content
The content of the units is timeless in its relevance
The topic of each unit is actually applicable to people of all ages
The program is descriptive
The content of the units allows for increases in complexity across the ages

The SRE curriculum of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand is divided in two parts:

Orthodoxy ABC for Years K-6; and

Orthodox Catechism for Years 7-12.

Orthodoxy ABC is the elementary program of the curriculum for SRE provided by the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church, intended for students of New South Wales public schools in stages 1 to 3, including early stage 1. This program is envisioned as a fundamental preparation for the more in-depth study of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity covered in the Orthodox Catechism program that is taught in high schools.

Orthodoxy Abc

Orthodoxy ABC comprises of three parts, each of which is divided in two streams. There is also an attached basic agenda for early stage 1. The first part is called Orthodoxy A and it covers the Old Testament; the second part, Orthodoxy B, covers the period from the birth of Jesus Christ to His Ascension; and the third part, Orthodoxy C, examines the development of the Church and its basic teachings from the Pentecost until modern days.
Two streams of Orthodoxy ABC

Stream 1 is intended for stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and stage 2 (Year 3); Stream 2 is intended for Stage 2 (Year 4) and Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6).

The two stream division essentially means that students in Years 1-3 will go through a more basic program, studying the same contents as Years 4-6, but with more emphasis on cognitive learning, becoming familiar with the topics, developing personal creativity skills, getting to know their teacher and their faith. In practical terms this means that the teacher will describe each lesson in a few comprehensible sentences, appropriate to the age of the students, and then concentrate on other aspects of the elementary introduction such as practicing the sign of the cross, practicing the Lord’s Prayer, colouring Icons, singing and chanting, watching videos relevant to the lesson topics, etc.

The desired outcome of Stream 1 is primarily for students to learn to like their SRE classes and teachers, and through them to develop a bond with the Church. It is also intended for the students to: learn how to make the sign of the cross, recite the Lord’s Prayer, appropriately address the clergy, familiarise themselves with some key words and concepts such as God, Christ, Liturgy, Church, Icon, Heaven, etc. and have fun while learning.

Stream 2 is intended for Years 4-6. In Stream 2 students will experience more structured learning about the topics that have been covered in Stream 1. They will learn about the Bible and how to use it. In practical terms this means that the teacher will explain the contents of each lesson in more detail, providing a historical and chronological description, as well as outlining the basic spiritual meanings and interpretations of the text in question. Contents of the lessons will still be mainly scriptural but presented in the context of the Church Tradition.

The desired outcome of Stream 2 is for students to learn where the Bible came from, how it is structured and how to use it in everyday life; as well as to learn about the history and significance of the Church and faith. Students should become aware of the rich history of their Church and develop an innate impression of its proleptic nature.

Agenda For Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)

Early Stage 1 is chronologically connected to the Orthodoxy ABC program, but with greater emphasis on introducing the very basic elements of studying scripture (e.g. prayer before and after studying, making the sign of a cross, correctly addressing the clergy and scripture teachers, respect for God and the Church, etc.), rather than contents itself.

Required resources

Essential literature for teachers of Orthodoxy ABC:

1. a) The Orthodox Study Bible (K-6);
2. b) Orthodoxy A (Years 1 and 4);
3. c) Orthodoxy B (Years 2 and 5); and
4. d) Orthodoxy C (Years 3 and 6).

Additionally students will need notebooks in which they will record their work, closely monitored by the teachers, as well as colouring pencils, writing pencils, paper, glue and other appropriate stationery supplies. Note that there may be minor variations in the delivery of the program across schools due to timetables or combined classes. Some lessons will be discussed in several classes.

Lessons:

Kindy Curriculum

Orthodoxy A

Orthodoxy B

Orthodoxy C

Orthodox Catechism

The word catechism has been used for centuries by the Church to describe a summary of doctrinal teachings presented to the Catechumens in order to prepare them for reception into the Church through baptism and chrismation. In the SRE context we use the term catechism to stress that this is the path of enlightenment prescribed by the Church for those who are seeking to discover the endless vaults of spiritual treasures entrusted to the Church from above. This course will teach the students how the Orthodox Church understands itself and its mission in the world.

Lessons:

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Complaints Procedure

Our complaints process is designed to encourage the fast and efficient resolution of your issue.

Please fill out the Complaint Form.

For non-urgent matters, we encourage you to send us an e-mail with the Complaint Form attached. If this is not possible, or if it is urgent, please call the Metropolitanate as soon as possible.

During the course of your complaint, we will aim to tailor any proposed resolutions to provide a fair and reasonable outcome to all parties involved. We will aim to deliver our mutually agreed resolution to you within 20 business days, or 2 business days where the complaint is urgent.

Please follow the steps below to raise your complaint. In the event that you require assistance with making a complaint, please do not hesitate to call us.

Contact Information

Rev. Fr Nemanja Mrdjenovic

SRE Coordinator

sre@soc.org.au

Rev. Dn. Milos Raketic

Secretary

secretary@soc.org.au

(02) 9517 9600