The department acknowledges, values and respects the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of students, their families, the school community, and all our staff. By embracing diversity and promoting respect, we strive to ensure every individual feels safe, valued, and empowered to succeed. Our dedication to equity and fairness underpins all our policies, programs, and practices, reflecting our belief that every member of our community deserves equal opportunity to thrive.

Key resources

The following resources are available for school communities, school leaders, educators, and staff:

• Reporting religious intolerance – Find information and resources about reporting incidents of discrimination or intolerance towards people of diverse faiths.
• Multifaith inclusion for staff – Learn more about how staff can support inclusion and diversity within schools and workplaces.
• Multifaith inclusion for leaders – Learn more about how school leaders can support inclusion and diversity of within schools.

Supporting students with diverse religions

• Supporting religion and spirituality resources – provide school leaders and teachers with general information about religious practices that have implications for NSW public schools and the diverse communities they serve. These resources aim to promote cultural and religious inclusion.

Department resources

• Translated Reporting religious intolerance – information on how to report religious intolerance available in 25 languages.
  
• Reporting religious intolerance (PDF xMb staff only) – find information and resources for those who have experienced, witnessed, or are managing reports of discrimination or intolerance.
  
• Henry Parkes Equity Resource Centre – provides access to a wide range of contemporary equity resources and conference facilities. It offers specialised materials that enhance inclusive teaching practices.
  
• Religious Intolerance principal toolkit (staff only) – designed to help principals and school leaders share consistent messaging with their school communities about religious intolerance, promoting safety, respect, and social cohesion.
  
• Support in times of crisis – information on how students, families, staff and school communities may be affected by international and local crises like civil unrest, war and natural disasters.
  
• Multicultural education – includes links to a range of online resources, including Anti-racism education, Culture and diversity, English as an additional language or dialect, Supporting refugee students, and more.
  

Additional resources

• The Equity for excellence guide for schools – provides a framework to implement the department’s shared commitment to equity.
• The Applying an equity lens in education – includes resources to recognise the rights of all students and learners to access and participate fully in education and realise their educational potential.
  

Further resources

• Racism. No Way! – includes videos featuring personal stories from people of different faiths about their experiences with discrimination. These can support classroom discussions and help everyone understand the impact of religious intolerance.
• Intercultural Understanding – the Australian Curriculum general capability on reflecting on culture and cultural diversity, engaging with cultural and linguistic diversity, and navigating intercultural contexts.
  
• NESA Capabilities and priorities – the intercultural understanding capability provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the dynamic and variable nature of culture.
• eSafety Commissioner – research and information about hate speech and targeted religious groups, and protecting the voices of diverse individuals and communities at risk.
  
• Anti-Discrimination NSW – if you’ve been discriminated against, sexually harassed, vilified or victimised in NSW, Anti-Discrimination NSW can help.
• Multicultural NSW – Multicultural NSW promotes community harmony and social cohesion in one of the most culturally diverse states in the world.
  

Relevant policies, plans, and strategies

• Multicultural Education policy
• Multicultural Plan 2024-2027
• Anti-Racism policy
• Anti-Racism Strategy 2024–2035
• Religious education and special education in ethics policy