Questions about Authorisation and Accreditation of Special Religious Education (SRE) Teachers in NSW
Different denominations vary in their processes. The following apply to Baptist authorised SRE teachers in NSW. The member churches of ICCOREIS (the official body overseeing NSW Special Religious Education - www.iccoreis.asn.au) has an agreed standard for SRE teacher accreditation which will take effect at the start of 2013. It will require a minimum of 8 hours classroom training as well as child protection training. A BIble worldview module will also need to be undertaken and teachers will need to have one lesson observed each year by a peer mentor or someone they feel can help them increase their teaching competence.
AUTHORISATION IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT and is gained by signing the necessary forms, completing child protection training and being endorsed by your church.
ACCREDITATION is a process of training that will be mandatory by the start of 2013.
Do I need an
authorisation card to teach Scripture?
Yes.
I filled in a form and
sent it in ‘a few years back’. Does that mean I'm authorised?
Forms must have been completed since 2010 for authorisation. If you don’t have proof of authorisation check with us and if we hold the necessary forms signed by you, we’ll send you an authorisation card.
Do teachers need to
sign an SRE Teacher Engagement Form every year?
Once we have a current signed form, it carries over from year to year. You are responsible to inform us if the form is no longer valid for example if you change churches. You will be asked to sign a new form if additional requirements are introduced.
My authorisation card
is due to expire, what should I do?
Contact the Baptist Union of NSW. (If you are with another denomination then you will need to contact them to check on their process.) If all is in order we’ll simply send you a new card. If you need to fill in a new Engagement Form we’ll let you know. It would be helpful to check with your coordinator so we can do cards for your whole team together.
My card is marked
PROVISIONAL. How do I get a regular card?
If you had not yet completed a Creating Safe Spaces course at the time of sending in your Engagement Form, you would have received a provisional card, meaning that you hadn’t done child protection training but had agreed to do it at the next opportunity. When you complete that training simply email kidsmin@baptistnsw.asn.au stating the time and place of the course you attended and we’ll send your new card.
Do I need an interview
before I can be authorised?
Your pastor will need to sign your authorisation form and will do an informal interview so they can confidently sign to say that you are competent to represent them in the school.
Do I need to do child
protection training to teach SRE?
Yes. To be authorised as a Baptist SRE teacher you need to do Creating Safe Churches or a recognised SCTA endorsed course at which time you will be entered on the Safety Management Online database. The latest training calendar is always available from http://www.ncca.org.au/departments/safe-church/scta/scta-workshop-calendar
How often do I have to
do child protection training?
Every three years.
How does the online
database work?
When you attend an SCTA course, you will nominate a login and password and the course leader will enter you on the Safety Management Online database. When we receive your properly completed SRE Engagement Form it is also marked on the database and the combination of the SCTA training and Engagement Form means that a green light comes up next to your name, meaning you're authorised to teach SRE. After three years the light goes red until you do refresher training. It's our way of ensuring that the people we are authorising are meeting the requirements. The training modules for Classroom competency and Bible knowledge are also marked on SMO when you complete them.
I've done the training but haven't received a green card. Why not?
Green cards are issued when we receive your SRE teacher Engagement Form. If you've sent a form signed by your pastor and have not received a card email kidsmin@baptistnsw.asn.au or call 02 9868 9238 and request one.
Our church doesn't
have a pastor at present. Who can sign our forms?
Where there is no pastor an elected office bearer of the church such as the Secretary or Treasurer can sign the forms.
Does the pastor have
to be authorised and do the training? Who signs the pastor's form?
Yes, everyone who goes into schools under SRE has to be authorised. Another member of the pastoral team or an elected office bearer of the church can sign the pastor’s form.
Our school doesn't ask
to see green cards. Why do we need to fill in SRE Engagement Forms and do child
protection training?
It's the law that teachers be authorised for SRE by an Approved Provider. The Baptist Union is the Approved Provider for affiliated Baptist Churches. Even if schools don't ask to see evidence because you are well known in the school, we have to comply.
If your question isn't
covered here, please email kidsmin@baptistnsw.asn.au with your question and
preferably a phone number as well for a speedy reply