2015 REVIEW OF SPECIAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ETHICS IN NSW GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 23 MARCH 2016

2015 Review of SRE and SEE in NSW Government schools

Acknowledgments ARTD would like to thank the many members of the New South Wales (NSW) community; the Department of Education; NSW schools (principals, assistant/ deputy principals and school Special Religious Education coordinators); the religious providers, including their Special Religious Education coordinators and volunteer and employed Special Religious Education teachers; Primary Ethics, including their Special Education in Ethics coordinators and volunteer teachers; and other stakeholders who contributed to the Review. We would like to acknowledge and thank the publishers who made available their Special Religious Education curriculum materials for the Review, and Primary Ethics for providing its curriculum materials. All contributions were read and considered. We thank all concerned for their time and insights and trust that their views are adequately represented in this report. ARTD Consultancy team Wendy Hodge, Chris Milne, Marita Merlene, Yvana Jones (associate), Alexandra Ellinson, Kerry Hart, Ofir Thaler and Jasper Odgers

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2015 Review of SRE and SEE in NSW Government schools

Contents Tables and figures .................................................................................................................. iv Tables ...............................................................................................................................................................iv Figures.............................................................................................................................................................vii Glossary ................................................................................................................................. viii Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................................. xi Executive summary................................................................................................................ xii Special Religious Education and Special Education in Ethics.....................................................xii The independent Review .........................................................................................................................xii Review methodology .............................................................................................................................. xiii Main findings and recommendations ................................................................................................xiv Part A: Special Religious Education ......................................................................................................xiv ToR 1: The nature and extent of Special Religious Education ...................................................xv ToR 2: Department of Education implementation procedures for SRE ................................xvi ToR 3: Development of complaints procedures and protocols ...............................................xxi ToR 4: SRE providers’ training structures ....................................................................................... xxiii ToR 5: Registration of SRE Boards, Associations and Committees ...................................... xxiii ToR 6: New modes and patterns of delivery using technology ..............................................xxv ToR 7: Pedagogy, relevance, age appropriateness of teaching and learning in SRE across all Years K to 10—and teaching and learning in SEE in Years K to 6 in a variety of demographics ....................................................................................................... xxvi ToR 8: The