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.
Participating Faith Group: Christian instructors
Authorised Program: We use the God's Space Curriculum that is the approved program by parliament to be implemented in schools.
Aims and Outcomes of the Program Term 2 to 4
Example -
Unit 1 God's Story of Everything 4 weeks
AIMS
*To give the children a God's-eye view of the earth, past, present and future and provide a visual aid to explain God's story for humanity.
* Emphasis is on the why the world began
Outcomes
Stage 1 : Ages 6-8: recall that God made the world and people and it was very good and though the first humans made wrong choices that affected that, God has a plan to fix it.
Stage 2 : Ages 8-10: explore the bible account of the beginning of the world and God's plan to overcome what impacted this world so that it is no longer perfect
Lesson duration –
30 minutes per week
Lesson structure -
1 - Play a quick game
2 - Song
3- Video (to go along with the days topic)
4- Powerpoint from God's Space on the topic.
5- Drama and or craft
Prayer
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 i.e Study Ladder
- wider reading such as independent reading appropriate to the student