About Anchor RE
Who are Anchor RE?
In 1982, Anchor RE commenced with employing one full-time teacher at Mackellar Girls with Balgowlah Boys requesting a teacher a year later. Since then, there has been a need for more of our dedicated and passionate SRE teachers, including Manly Selective in 2016. We now have four teachers across these three campuses.
Anchor RE advises the Approved Providers covering the catchment area of the number of volunteers and employed staff that is required.
Approved Providers
Every SRE teacher is accredited by one of the following Approved Providers:
Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Baptist Union of NSW
Presbyterian Church of Australia (NSW)
Uniting Church in Australia (NSW Synod)
Accreditation includes training in the subject matter, teaching skills and child protection. In addition, teachers must obtain and hold a valid Government Working With Children Check.
FAQs
Do students have to pray in SRE classes?
No. Special Religious Education (SRE) is education about a religion, not participation in the religion. This is open to everyone.
Students may attend Voluntary Student Activities (VSA) such as ISCF or Shimmer lunchtime groups, where students offer faith-based support for one another. VSA's are not part of SRE or school curriculums.
Can anyone attend Christian SRE? Do Catholics attend Christian SRE?
Yes. Parents must choose one particular SRE or non-SRE but there are no restrictions on your choice.
NBSC Manly Selective offers the choice of Catholic or Protestant SRE, so Catholics normally attend the former. NBSC Mackellar Girls and NBSC Balgowlah Boys currently have combined Christian SRE, which Catholic students attend. This curriculum is suitable for all Christians as it teaches the foundational beliefs held in common by the Approved Providers participating in the combined arrangement; it does not teach about distinctions between various denominations.
Why do you teach only one religion? Why not teach all of them?
SRE is education in the beliefs and practices of an approved religious persuasion, delivered by authorised representatives of that religion. An SRE teacher can only be accredited by their own religion.
Learning about similarities and differences among major religions and Christianity is part of the SRE curriculum. The Department also provides General Religious Education about the world’s major religions through the school curriculum.
Why aren't more choices of religions offered at all NBSC campuses?
All SRE and ethics are provided by registered volunteer organisations, not the Department of Education. In any particular school, the choices available are those which the local religious and ethics communities volunteer to provide.
Why is 'non-SRE (private study)' available as an alternative to SRE but Ethics is not?
Ethics is available in Primary (K-6) but not high schools. This is because no volunteer organisation has developed and registered a curriculum for high school.
I am an accredited Primary Ethics (K-6) teacher. Can I come and teach ethics at high school?
Accredited SRE and ethics teachers are only allowed to teach lessons from an Authorised Curriculum. As no curriculum as been submitted to the Department for high school ethics (7-12), there are no authorised lessons available to teach.
Where do I find more information about the curriculum?
The authorised SRE curriculum used is “Think Faith” produced by CEP. The curriculum and sequence can be downloaded from the Think Faith website.
I have a different question so how can I contact Anchor RE?
All questions are welcome so just click on the Contact Us button.