RI and RE in Australian Schools—The State of Play

Abstract

Religion in Australian public education has not been well researched. While there is broad literature on religion and education internationally, little of it addresses ethnicity, culture and religion in government schools in Australia. Author uses the term 'Religious Instruction' (RI) to refer to segregated faith, though some state policies use 'Special Religious Education' (SRE); 'Special Religious Instruction' (SRI) or even 'Christian Religious Education' (CRE). In 2012, New South Wales RI was delivered by 10,850 religious volunteers. Professional teachers are not required to be present during RI or ethics. Some urban public schools have a range of approved RI providers. In Australia, non-sectarian Studies of Religion has no real foothold in state education. At the same time, Australia suffers locally and internationally from its religiously marked social conflicts. Supporters of RI claim that RI creates avenues for interreligious tolerance by inviting many faith traditions into a school.Keywords: Australian public education; Christian Religious Education(CRE); Religious Instruction (RI); Special Religious Education(SRE)