Queensland state schools embrace a multitude of cultural, religious and non-religious beliefs. Under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, schools are to provide Religious Instruction (RI) if approached by a faith group seeking to provide RI and students of that faith attend the school.
RI informs students about the beliefs and values of a particular religion. It is delivered by volunteers of a faith group using instructional materials approved by that faith group. RI is required to be consistent with legislation and Department of Education policies and procedures.
All RI instructors must hold a blue card and participate in compulsory Student Protection and Code of Conduct training. RI instructors are only entitled to deliver the RI program outlined below. A school staff member will be present during the delivery of RI.
Participation in RI is not compulsory. Any student (except Prep students) may participate in RI if a parent has provided written instructions to the school.
Students are allocated to RI based on information provided by parents on the completed Application for student enrolment unless other written instructions have been provided to the school.
Note: This consent remains in effect unless the parent informs the school otherwise in writing.
A description of the RI available at Ironside State School is provided below.
If you would like to change your child(ren's) RI selection at any time, written notification is required. Please email - enrolments@ironsidess.eq.edu.au or your child’s teacher with any written request.
The available classes are:-
- Catholicism
- Combined Christian
- Islam
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
Combined Christian Religious Instruction
The aim of Christian RI is to inform students about the basic beliefs of the Christian faith from a non-denominational perspective.
The providers of Christian RI use authorised program materials and resources and are committed to best-practice programs that have been reviewed by independent curriculum experts. The program GodSpace is used across Years 1-6 at Ironside SS and further information about GodSpace, including lesson structure can he found here . The independent review of GodSpace can be found here .
Participating faith groups: Local Christian Churches come together to offer Christian RI on a cooperative and non-denominational basis. These local churches may, amongst others, include Anglican, Australian Christian Churches, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Brisbane Chinese Alliance, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
Outline of lesson structure
Combined Christian RI may involve a variety of up-to-date teaching methods including storytelling, prayer, music, drama, craft, activity books, games, quizzes, video clips and puppet shows. Program resources are written by professional educators and are age-appropriate.
Lesson structure: 30 minute lesson, once per week.
Buddhism Religious Instruction
Aims and Goals
Our vision is for children to gain a foundation in Buddhist ethical values, being aware of the consequences of what they think, say and do. This will help them to develop skills that will benefit their personal lives and therefore also the wider community and society.
Our aim is for the children to lead happy and healthy lives by sharing values and life skills with them based on the wisdom of the Buddha and using contemporary pedagogy. The children will not remember the contents of Buddhist text books, nor remember lists, but will understand the heart of Buddha's wisdom to live well for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Outline of lesson structure
We employ a modern pedagogical lesson planning structure, using a logical, step-by-step approach, taking into account the current level of understanding of the children. In other words, age-appropriate.
Lesson structure: 30 minute lesson, once per week.
Catholicism Religious Instruction
A variety of curricula can be used approved by the local parish priest or a bishop which usually go into some detail about Catholic religious tradition and practices rather than a general instruction on the Bible and basic Christian beliefs provided in a co-operative arrangement. Catholic belief is based on both Scripture and tradition.
Outline of Catholicism RI's Aims and Goals:
To help students:
- to know that we are all of mankind, that we all have a divine spirit within us and to know that God is within us all
- to love God with all our heart and mind and soul
- to love our neighbour, to show love, honour and respect to ourselves and to all around us
- to forgive others and to treat others as we would like to be treated
- to be familiar with the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes
- to be informed about Catholic liturgical practices and religious services
- to be familiar with basic Catholic beliefs and the fundamentals of Catholic religious doctrine
- to become familiar with Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ.
- to know about special feast days associated with liturgical seasons of the year including Easter and Christmas
- to become aware of and appreciate the Sacraments and Prayers of the Catholic Church
Students are invited to participate in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Confirmation.
Outline of lesson Structure:
Catholicism RI lessons are based on the person of Jesus Christ and biblical teaching and may include bible stories and parables, drama, music, craft and prayer.
Lesson structure: 30 minute lesson, once per week.
Islam Religious Instruction
Outline of your Faith Group's Aims and Goals
Our vision is for children to gain foundational knowledge and a practical understanding of Islamic values. Islam is a complete way of life that is centred around the concept of God-consciousness, as shown by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final prophet and messenger sent by Allah (God).
We aim to develop students into happy, healthy and functional individuals who contribute to society based on the timeless wisdom from Islamic scripture and insights from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and companions. As the modern age takes its toll on everyone through various stresses (economic, political, social, cultural), our program is tailored to help them manage and rise above the modern day struggles whilst ensuring they remain true to the core ethics of One God, his final Prophet, and the development of a tolerant, value-based society as encouraged by Islamic scripture.
Outline of lesson structure
Our modern pedagogical approach enables us to deliver a curriculum structured around the foundational areas (6 Pillars of Faith) of Islamic education, including:
Term 1: Back to Basics: 5 Pillars of Islam
Term 2: Who is Allah (SWT)?
Term 3: Guidance through the Prophet Stories
Term 4: Guidance from Allah
Understanding that actions are linked to beliefs. Faith must be accompanied by beneficial action. There is no rote-learning; instead, concepts are taught in a dynamic and engaging way that is relevant to the Australian context. Students are encouraged to ask questions as this shows they are processing the lessons and seeking a deeper understanding.
Alongside faith-based lessons are practical steps to develop life skills like time management, maintaining healthy relationships, and respectful communication. There is also a focus on morals and values that are the basis for a harmonious and socially cohesive society. Principles of fairness, equity, sharing, respect and understanding are core to each lesson, which resonates with all students regardless of how strongly they identify with the faith.
Please note: The order of topics is rotated every year; however, the concept remains the same. To stay up to date with our Term Assigned topic. Please feel free to explore our website: https://www.isre.org.au/resources/
Lesson structure: 30 minute lesson, once per week.
Hinduism Religious Instruction
Aims and goals: The aim of Hinduism RI is to inform the students about the fundamental beliefs and value systems of Hindu Dharma, its rich culture and heritage.
The focus of the Hinduism RI classes is to teach the children the values of Hindu Dharma, the Hindu gods and goddesses, and Hindu festivals through storytelling and celebrating festivals during the RI class. Through telling them stories from the Hindu Scriptures, the Hinduism RI class aims to provide guidance to children about how to achieve their goals and grow up into proud and contributing Hindu Australians.
Lesson structure: Story telling, audio-visual presentations, activities including, puzzles, quiz, memory games and celebrations of festivals when relevant, aiming 30 minutes per class in a week. The following will be covered:
· Introduction to Hindu Dharma and Hindu Gods/Goddesses
· Moral values from the Hindu Dharma Scriptures
· Basic Hindu mantras (prayers) - worship
· Values from Great Epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata
· Celebrate various Hindu festivals to emphasize the importance of Hindu cultural values and traditions such as respect for nature and environment, animals, fellow human beings, society thus focusing on one of the fundamental tenets of Hindu Dharma - Vasudhiava Kutumbakam', i.e world is one big family that includes all living beings.
Lesson structure: 30 minute lesson, once per week.
Other Instruction
Students who are not participating in RI will be provided with other instruction in a separate supervised location. Other instruction must relate to part of a subject area already covered in class and may include:
- personal research and/or assignments
- revision of class work such as creative writing or literacy and/or numeracy activities which could include online programs currently accessed by the students of that school
- wider reading such as independent reading appropriate to the student
Parents will be advised of any changes to the RI and other instruction programs to ensure they are able to make an informed decision on their child's participation.