Christian providers of Special Religious Education (SRE) in New South Wales claim to be under “real and rising pressure”, as political opposition increases and school communities seek reform of the increasingly unpopular program.

As part of yet another fundraising push, Youthworks is sounding the alarm that “SRE is under pressure in schools across our state”.

The Sydney Anglican Church’s youth-evangelising organisation, whose missionaries deliver religious indoctrination lessons in public school classrooms across the state, claims that “significant opposition” is mounting from decision makers “with their own agendas”.

“It’s no secret that SRE is under pressure in schools across our state. The struggle to get SRE classes scheduled. The battle to persuade administrators that parents and families really do want a choice,” says the Youthworks website.

“The challenges are significant. The pressure on SRE is real and rising.”

Their push to ‘defend’ SRE comes as the Sydney Anglican Church experiences falling congregant numbers and struggles to attract new followers.

The Rationalist Society of Australia understands that one school P&C committee has, in recent weeks, proposed voting to move SRE to out-of-class hours. Such challenges from within school communities are believed to have become more frequent occurrences in recent years, despite the state’s education laws stipulating that SRE classes be allocated during normal learning time.

Meanwhile, Scripture Union, another Christian SRE provider, has removed from its social media a video, published in June, in which the organisation promoted proselytising in a public school. In the video, two senior school students talked about recruiting non-Christians to lunchtime Bible activities hosted by Scripture Union.

The removal of the video happened after the RSA sought answers from the New South Wales education minister, Prue Car, and Department of Education into the breach of government policy on proselytising. The Minns government has not, however, responded to these concerns.

Regarding the SRE program, public calls are growing louder for the Minns government to follow the lead of the Victorian government and move SRE to outside normal class time.

Key public education sector stakeholders are opposed to SRE being held during class time for many reasons, and want it moved to before or after school hours, or during lunchtime.

Such is the increasing unpopularity of SRE, tiny minorities of students participate in the program in many schools. Politicians are also calling for reform.

Earlier this year, almost 1,500 parents and guardians signed a petition calling for reform of the program. But in response to the petition, Ms Car defended SRE and said the Labor government would not be making any changes.

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Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.