Statement on UCA Schools

Mission

Our schools are concerned with the development of the whole person and therefore, their curricula embrace each student’s unique gifts, talents and aspirations by providing opportunities for their discovery and development. Students will enhance their growth and development through access to experiences of personal development, spiritual growth, work experience, community-based learning, school leadership and service, career/work readiness, and other co-curricular activities of a sporting and cultural nature.

Vision

The ethos and environment created in the schools which the Northern Synod seeks to establish and maintain includes:

• embracing Christian values and beliefs based on faith formation
• conducting school celebrations and cultural programs; thereby making time to discern God’s purpose in the events of daily life
• embracing good order and organisation, appropriate facilities and learning environments, communication, positive relations among parents, students, staff and the wider community;
• embracing relevant curriculum structure (which includes religious and moral instruction), content, learning strategies, resource availability, professional development and co-curricular activities
• ensuring parents, staff and students have an input to the development of a Christian philosophy of the school.

Statement on Government Schools and Continuing Christian Education

Government Schools

Members of the Uniting Church in the Northern Synod have many opportunities to witness, to the reign of God through care, service and influence within the Government school system. The diverse ways that our members can be involved include being students, parents of students, teachers, support staff, chaplains, teachers of religious education and members of School Councils.

We value and seek to develop the opportunities offered by:

• praying for our public schools;
• recognising as a ministry for God the roles our members play wherever they participate in the public education system;
• either directly or by co-operating with other churches provide chaplains in primary and secondary schools.

Continuing Christian Education

The Uniting Church is involved in Christian Education for all ages. This includes playgroups, parent support groups, Sunday schools, Kids clubs and camps, youth groups, marriage courses, introduction to Christianity courses and adult education formation groups and so on. Such groups impact on the lives of individuals and the life of the community in general, as the truth of the gospel is shared and received with the power to change attitudes, actions and relationships.

We seek to support life long Christian education by:

• acknowledging its worth and importance in people’s lives and in the life of the community
• encouraging members of our congregations to participate in and lead educational activities.
• assisting financially where possible;
• praying that these groups will to further the understanding of God in our communities.