ACCESS Ministries

ACCESS Ministries is an inter-church body (representing twelve Christian denominations) which provides Christian religious education (CRE) and Chaplaincy in State schools in Victoria, under the provision of the Education Act 1958 (revised 1986 and 2006).

What is CRE?

Christian religious education is a 30-minute, weekly program for Prep to Year 6, taught in the classroom.

CRE teachers, representing the Christian churches are approved by the Minister for Education, have a Working With Children Check, and are trained and accredited through ACCESS Ministries.

CRE complements the state school curriculum and uses an Agreed Syllabus published by ACCESS Ministries. The training program for CRE teachers is regularly updated to reflect best practice in contemporary
education. You have the right to withdraw your child from the program at any time.

The Victorian Education Act and Regulations make provision for students to receive 30 minutes of religious education each week as a normal part of their schooling.

The CRE curriculum

The CRE curriculum engages kids, is easy to follow and helps students make good life choices. It makes connections between the student, values, the Bible and the Christian way of life. The curriculum introduces students to the key beliefs and values of the Christian faith and makes connections with their lives as individuals and as members of a community. It challenges them to apply the values they learn in the context of biblical teaching to the decisions and choices they make on a day-to-day basis.

Values and the CRE Curriculum

The importance of values in national, community and one’s personal life is being increasingly recognised. In the CRE curriculum, there are strong correlations between the content of the lessons and values. The values espoused in state and national curricula are reflected in the material. Such values as care, compassion, respect, honesty and trustworthiness are referenced in the material.

Curriculum Books

Each CRE teacher commits to work from the Teacher Book designed for the age group they are teaching. This explains what they are to teach and ways in which it may be taught.

Each student has a Student Workbook in which is recorded some of the learning that takes place. The students complete one book each semester (half year).