[11] The fall in attendance is largely attributed to department of education rules in August 2011, changing SRI classes from opt-out to opt-in following complaints from parents and activist groups.
[15][16] All chaplains are required to have a bachelor's degree in theology or ministry, education, counselling or pastoral care, coupled with tertiary qualifications or experience in the other applicable areas.
Volunteers pay Access Ministries $15 for six hours of training in order to qualify to teach SRI to children, compared to the three to four year degree required for teachers.
[21] Dr Marion Maddox, a member of the Uniting Church, professor at Macquarie University and expert on religious issues, has criticised Access Ministries volunteers for being under qualified.
[23] Access Ministries subsequently was questioned by Peter Garrett, then Minister for Education, who stated he was satisfied with their response and asked his department to take no further action.
[24][25] Gary Bouma, an Anglican priest and professor of sociology at Monash University has criticised Access Ministries' SRI curriculum for being biased, describing it as "just appalling".
Dr Marion Maddox and former justice of the High Court of Australia Michael Kirby have also accused Access Ministries of presenting their beliefs in a biased manner.
Access removed the comic from their website after it was criticised by teachers, the Australian Childhood Foundation and Victorian education minister, Martin Dixon.