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.
Christian Religious Instruction
Participating faith groups: Anglican, Australian Christian Churches, Baptist, Catholic, Uniting, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Christian Reformed, Pentecostal,
Salvation Army, Wesleyan Methodist and other like Christian faiths are taught within a co-operative arrangement (more than one faith group working together).
Authorised program:
- Beginning with God - published by CEP
- Connect - published by CEP
- Big Questions - published by CEP
- GodSpace published by Burst Christian resources
- Getting to Know Jesus
- Love Out Loud
- Quiz Worx and Dan Warlow
Aims and goals: To inform students about the basic beliefs of the Christian faith
Lesson structure: Each class (Year 1 to Year 6) has access to a half hour period of instruction per week. Religious Instruction classes are held at the school each Friday between 9:30 and 10:30pm. Ministers and lay people from a number of religions who are accredited representatives conduct these classes.
Christian RI Brochures are available at the school office.
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.
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 also include online learning programs currently accessed by the students of that school
- wider reading such as independent reading appropriate to the student.