Religious Education in Public Schools

The teaching of Religious Education in public schools is governed by the School Education Act 1999 (the Act) Sections 66-71, which state that the curriculum and teaching in public schools is not to promote any particular religious practice, denomination or sect. In line with the Act the Department of Education and Training’s Religious Education policy states that public schools provide a secular education to students and families from many different cultural backgrounds and faiths. Schools should, therefore, respect the background and beliefs of all students by not promoting any particular set of beliefs in preference to another.