Teenage missionaries are among the instructors taking over classrooms from professional teachers to deliver religious indoctrination classes in New South Wales’ public schools.
The Rationalist Society of Australia has discovered that teens of around 15 and 16 years of age are providing scripture instruction under the state’s controversial Special Religious Education (SRE) program.
The state’s SRE policy does not require instructors to be adults and does not require those under 18 to obtain Working With Children Checks. However, instructors under 18 must be supervised by another SRE instructor.
According to Catholic media, a number of Year 10 students – 16 in total from one Sydney Catholic high school – are giving up their own school time to deliver Catholic SRE in two local public primary schools.
The Diocese of Parramatta provides the high school students with training and teaching resources, but then the students are responsible for planning, resourcing and teaching the lessons.
“This important ministry not only educates the younger children about God, knowing Jesus and being Catholic, but also brings the … students closer together and strengthens their own faith,” says a report in Catholic Outlook.
The role of these SRE instructors, known as ‘Catechists’ in the Catholic church, includes transmitting “the Gospel message and a maturity in faith” and “respect the relationship between God and the child”.
RSA Executive Director Si Gladman has this week raised concerns with the education minister, Prue Car, saying that allowing teens to lead scripture classes was inappropriate and indicative of the “free for all” given to religious missionaries in the program.
The SRE program is again coming under close scrutiny following allegations of caste being taught in Hindu classes and other divisive materials, such as the teaching of anti-science and anti-evolution content in Christian classes, and the teaching of hellfire and warnings against certain friendships in Islamic classes.
“Parents and carers across New South Wales will no doubt be very concerned that the Minns government is wiping its hands of any responsibility for what’s happening in the SRE program,” said Mr Gladman.
In his letter to Minister Car (see below), Mr Gladman said it was also exploitative of Catholic schools to use their own children as missionaries.
“Teenagers have not yet had an opportunity to mature in their own worldviews and make independent decisions about religion,” he said.
“For many young people raised in Catholic families and schools, we know that they will walk away from the faith once they reach adulthood and have had an opportunity to reach their own conclusions about religion.”
Mr Gladman has again asked Minister Car whether the government would investigate the allegations of caste being taught in Hindu SRE.
In parliament late last month, Minister Car suggested that she was unaware of the allegations, despite the RSA having directly raised the matter with her in early October last year and the education department having responded.
Minister Car has continued to back SRE despite collapsing participation rates forcing many children to miss out on learning time and despite increasing demands for reform from key public education stakeholders and parents and carers.
The Rationalist Society of Australia is actively lobbying for secular reform of scripture programs in public schools. Follow our campaign here.
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Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
RSA letter to Minister Car, 6 March 2025
Dear Minister Car,
I’m writing on behalf of the Rationalist Society of Australia in regards to the Special Religious Education program.
Teaching of caste
We note that in response to questions at budget estimates late last month you suggested that you were unaware of allegations of caste being taught in Hindu scripture classes in public schools.
However, we raised this issue directly with you on 1 October 2024 and received a reply from your department on 21 October 2024.
Is the Minns government taking these allegations seriously and investigating them?
What steps are you taking to address this issue and other concerns about divisive content in SRE – such as the teaching of anti-science and anti-evolution materials in Christian classes, and the teaching of hellfire and warnings against certain friendships in Islamic classes?
Teenage instructors
We are deeply concerned that some SRE providers are using teenagers to lead SRE instruction in public schools.
According to this article in Catholic media, a number of Year 10 students – likely aged 15/16 – from a Sydney Catholic high school are giving up their own school time to deliver Catholic SRE in two local public primary schools.
It is surely inappropriate for SRE providers to be sending teenage missionaries into public school classrooms, especially when these teens are not required to hold Working With Children Checks.
Also, it is exploitative for Catholic schools to be using their own students as missionaries, with these teens having to give up their own school time to take part.
Teenagers have not yet had an opportunity to mature in their own worldviews and make independent decisions about religion. For many young people raised in Catholic families and schools, we know that they will walk away from the faith once they reach adulthood and have had an opportunity to reach their own conclusions about religion.
This practice further highlights how the SRE program is essentially operating as a “free for all” for religious missionary work and without proper accountability and oversight by the state government.
Parents and carers across New South Wales will no doubt be very concerned that the Minns government is wiping its hands of any responsibility for what’s happening in the SRE program.
Regards,
Si Gladman
Executive Director,
Rationalist Society of Australia