Inter-church commission on religious education in schools: Providing Christian religious education in government schools

The Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools (ICCOREIS) came into existence in 1972 when the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Lutheran churches joined with member churches of the NSW Council for Christian Education in Schools (CCES) to create a new consultative body. It was established, at that time, to represent its member churches in negotiations with the NSW Government and the then Department of School Education in respect to the provision of religious education in NSW government schools. The paper provides a historical account of the establishment and development of ICCOREIS as a peak body for the work of Christian Churches in providing religious education in New South Wales government schools from the time of it foundation in 1972 until the beginning of the 21st century.