Review of SRE

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Media Statement April 11, 2017

Statement by Archbishop Glenn Davies, Metropolitan of New South Wales,  on the review of Special Religious Education (SRE) and Special Education in Ethics (SEE)

I welcome the recently released review of SRE and SEE in New South Wales. I am pleased that the report confirms Special Religious Education has overwhelming support, is working well and is an integral part of the holistic education offered by New South Wales public schools.

The statistics show that Special Religious Education is operating in 92 percent of primary schools and 81 percent of secondary schools, which underlines our commitment to providing the highest quality educational outcomes. 

I commend the Minister and the Department of Education for the thorough nature of the review and the commitment which ‘recognises the diversity of Australian society and supports parental choice in educating children about their faith’ (report page xiv).

We shall work with the Department in its response to the recommendations. A number of areas identified, including the provision of curriculum information, have already been addressed by our own internal reviews of SRE procedures. 
 
The Department of Education’s own Wellbeing Framework recognises the importance of the spiritual wellbeing of children in developing a sense of meaning and purpose as well as connecting growing students to culture, religion and community.
 
This holistic approach to education and community involvement is the hallmark of a strong and diverse society of which Special Religious Education is a vibrant and vital part.