Religious instruction
Queensland state schools embrace a multitude of cultural, religious and non-religious beliefs. Under the
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, schools are to provide Religious Instruction (RI) if approached by a faith group seeking to provide RI and students of that faith attend the school.
RI informs students about the beliefs and values of a particular religion. It is delivered by volunteers of a faith group using instructional materials approved by that faith group. RI is required to be consistent with legislation and Department of Education policies and procedures.
All RI instructors must hold a blue card and participate in compulsory Student Protection and Code of Conduct training. RI instructors are only entitled to deliver the RI program outlined below. A school staff member will be present during the delivery of RI.
Participation in RI is not compulsory. Any student (except Prep students) may participate in RI if a parent has provided written instructions to the school.
Students are allocated to RI based on information provided by parents on the completed
Application for student enrolment unless other written instructions have been provided to the school.
Note:
This consent remains in effect unless the parent informs the school otherwise in writing.
A description of the RI available is provided below.
Redland City Ministers Fellowship Religious Instruction
Authorised program: CEP Publishers, Anglican Youthworks, Sydney NSW. Offered to Years 1- 6, in an age-appropriate format.
Aims and goals:
* to encourage students to explore questions of faith & Bible concepts aligning with school values such as getting along, resilience, and persistence.
* to provide an opportunity to discuss ideas about God & spirituality, fostering respect for others, promoting ethical decision making and positive behaviour choices
* to encourage exploration of a Christian perspective of healthy self esteem, care of the environment, and other contemporary issues people face in today's world.
Lesson structure:
* 30 minute lesson, once a fortnight engaging students in an interactive lesson
* 15 minutes using stories, puzzle solving, music or drama and 10 - 15 minutes to work on activity books.
* time is allocated for further exploration of specific questions as they are raised by students
For further information, including module and/or lesson descriptors visit:
www.cepconnect.com.au and search 'Curriculum'.
Parents of students participating in these programs will be advised if a faith group requires funds to cover the expense of materials used in RI. If required this will be part of the year level book list.
Other Instruction
Students who are not participating in RI will be provided with other instruction in a separate supervised location. Other instruction must relate to part of a subject area already covered in class and may include:
- personal research and/or assignments
- revision of class work such as creative writing or literacy and/or numeracy activities which could include online programs currently accessed by the students of that school
- wider reading such as independent reading appropriate to the student
Parents will be advised of any changes to the RI and other instruction programs to ensure they are able to make an informed decision on their child's participation.