By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
SINCE new light was shed on special religious instruction (SRI) in July 2014, numerous principals across Casey dropped the volunteer-run program in their school.
Teachers, principals and volunteers’ roles were set out in amended ministerial direction papers which made it clear that principals had to offer parents the 30-minute class if an accredited and approved SRI instructor approached the school.
Principals could then decide based on the number of returned consent forms whether to run the program or not.
But assistant minister at St John’s Anglican Church in Cranbourne, Matt Scheffer said when he started with the church in January this year he was made aware by long-term parishioners and vicar, David Powys that SRI in Casey schools was non-existent.
“There is virtually no SRI in the area and it would be really sad if a generation grew up thinking that Easter was about a bunny laying chocolate eggs and that Christmas was about a fat man coming down the chimney – it’s sort of sending a confusing message especially when Christmas has much deeper roots in the Christian tradition and story,” Mr Scheffer said.
The St John’s Anglican Church will be running an after school program starting on Monday 27 April as an alternative to the SRI program in schools. The program will run from 3.30pm to 6pm and will include a snack for the children, games, craft, bible stories and songs.
The six-week, gold coin donation program is aimed at children from Prep to Grade 4, but Mr Scheffer said everyone was welcome.
Development and communications general manager at Access Ministries, Rob Ward said he expected to see some decline in SRI school run programs again in 2015.
