The books also contain repeated references to death as the only payment for sinning, including that "sin must be paid for by human life being given". In another teaching instruction that includes a skit that the publisher says "may be photocopied for classroom use", the scripture instructor says: "They were sinners ... just like us. They deserved death." The lesson plan for teachers. Credit:Firm Foundations. A spokesman for the Department of Education said it "does not consider the material to be either age appropriate or suitable". "The department has contacted the Fellowship Baptist Church in Blacktown to raise its concerns and they have advised the department that they do not use the material and will remove the reference from their website," he said.

The inappropriate material was listed on the Fellowship Baptist Church of Blacktown's webpage that it included in its annual assurance to the department, dated January 2018. The webpage stated that "the curriculum used, depending on age and other factors, is Adventures in the Story of Hope, Firm Foundations: children's edition, and/or Connect". Firm Foundations was removed from the list this week. Children's edition book three includes passages describing homosexuality as a "sexual sin". Credit:Firm Foundations A representative for the church said the material "was brought to me by someone who was interested in teaching SRE under our auspices ... I included it as a possibility, with the intent of inspecting it further before allowing that individual to use it when [or] if the time came. "As it turns out, that individual did not follow through in doing all that we require of someone to be an approved teacher, so they are not teaching for us, and I didn’t give much further thought to the fact that the curriculum was still listed on our website."

The department's spokesman did not respond to questions about whether reviews are conducted to ensure material proposed for use in government schools by external scripture providers was appropriate. Darrin Morgan, a spokesman for the group Fairness in Religions in School, said there was very little oversight of what is taught during scripture lessons. Darrin Morgan said there is very little oversight of what is taught during scripture lessons. Credit:Marina Neil "I'm quite shocked at what I'm seeing. In their 2018 annual assurance [the Fellowship Baptist Church of Blacktown] states this curriculum is age appropriate, the department doesn't pay any attention to what's being taught," Mr Morgan said. "How long can we hand over the classroom for an hour a week to religious teaching material that the Education Minister has no control over?"

The department's spokesman said: "The department takes its duty of care to students seriously. If an allegation is made against a person providing religious education in a government school, it will be investigated with any reasonable action taken to protect students from foreseeable risk of harm." The spokesman said that of the two providers who do not have their curriculum available online, one had a live website "during the 2018 annual assurance process" and the other is "currently updating their website and the curriculum page will be made live shortly". An inquiry into Connect scripture material, which is still used widely by SRE providers in NSW primary schools, by the Queensland government in 2016 found it contained some inappropriate material relating to "animal sacrifice, murder and gender roles" and "may encourage undesirable child safe behaviours, such as ... the formation of 'special friendships' with adults". The Connect website states the latest release of its material was reviewed "by an independent panel of education experts". All NSW government schools are required to set aside between 30 minutes and one hour for special religious education and principals are required to ensure "that no academic instruction or formal school activities occur" during this time.