Religion and ethics

At Concord Public School, Religious Education (SRE) and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) are delivered on Thursday afternoon from 2:25pm-3:00pm.

On enrolment parents/carers are given the SRE and SEE participation letter to complete and return to indicate their preference for religion or ethics class. After the initial enrolment, notification of changes to a child’s enrolment in SRE/SEE should be given to the school office in writing.

The following SRE classes are offered at Concord Public School:

• Catholic SRE is provided by the Catholic Diocese of Sydney. More information about Catholic SRE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the Catholic Diocese of Sydney

  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. For more information about the Catholic SRE curriculum go to https://ccd.sydneycatholic.org/about-ccd/what-is-sre/

• Protestant SRE is provided by Anglican Diocese of Sydney.  For more information about Protestant SRE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit website https://whysre.com.au

• Greek Orthodox SRE is provided by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. 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 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia 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.

  For more information about the Greek Orthodox SRE curriculum go to their website: http://www.greekorthodox.org.au/?page_id=3854

• SEE is provided by Primary Ethics. For more information about SEE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the  Primary Ethics website.

  SEE classes support children to develop a life-long capacity for making well-reasoned decisions about ethical issues. Through balanced argument students learn to disagree respectfully, to challenge ideas and to support their arguments with considered evidence. Our volunteer SEE teachers use lesson materials which present a range of stories, scenarios and questions to generate discussion. SEE teachers are trained to impartially facilitate student discussions, helping students develop their critical thinking and collaborative inquiry skills. SEE teachers support student learning by:

  • showing genuine curiosity and interest in the questions being discussed
  • staying neutral
  • creating space for students to think, share ideas, give reasons and ensuring

  SEE is provided by Primary Ethics. You can find out more information about the program from the Primary Ethics website.

  During the time that SRE/SEE classes are being held, students not attending will be located in a separate space and will participate in meaningful activities including reading, drawing and private study.