Religious Education Curriculum Directory (3-19) - The Catholic ...

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Religious Education Curriculum Directoryother disciplines present their knowledge. However, it should not simply be regarded as one subjectamong many, but should be the key element in an inter-disciplinary dialogue. The presentation ofthe Christian message influences the way in which, for example, the origins of the world, the senseof history, the basis of ethical values, the function of religion in culture, the destiny of the humanperson, and our relationship with nature, are understood. Religious Education in schools underpins,activates, develops and completes the educational and catechetical activity of the whole school. 13Religious Education is concerned not only with intellectual knowledge but also includes emotionaland affective learning. It is in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of what it is tobe human truly becomes clear. Without religious education, pupils would be deprived of an essentialelement of their formation and personal development, which helps them attain a vital harmonybetween faith and culture. Moral formation and religious education also foster the development ofpersonal and social responsibility and other civic virtues; they represent, therefore, an importantcontribution to the Common Good.In the context of the Catholic school, Religious Education is part of and completed by other formsof the ministry of the word (catechesis, homilies, liturgical celebration, etc.). Participation in worshipand prayer assists understanding of learning, as does engagement with ecclesial life and the outreachof the school in works of charity and justice. Experience and knowledge continually interrelate todeepen a pupil’s learning.For this reason classroom Religious Education is a core subject in the Catholic school, whilst thewider dimensions of learning through liturgy and outreach are integral to the project of Catholiceducation. The content of Religious Education will help the pupil to make a critique of all otherknowledge, leading, for example, to an understanding of the relationship between science and religionor history, and between theology, sport and the human body.Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to religious educators, stressed the need to enlarge the area of our rationality,to reopen it to the larger questions of the truth and the good, and to link theology, philosophyand science. The religious dimension contributes to the overall formation of the person andmakes it possible to transform knowledge into wisdom of life. Catholic Religious Education contributesto that goal when:school and society are enriched with true laboratories of culture and humanity in which, by interpretingthe significant contribution of Christianity, the person is equipped to discover goodness andto grow in responsibility, to seek comparisons and to refine his or her critical sense, to draw from thegifts of the past to understand the present better and to be able to plan wisely for the future.’ 144
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales — Department of Catholic Education and FormationThe Religious EducatorThe Church recognises the fundamental contribution of those charged with the planning anddelivery of Religious Education. In what may be called the ‘hidden curriculum’, the witness,integrity and sincerity of the teacher or staff member will influence the communication ofChristian faith, especially as knowledge to be believed and lived. As Pope Benedict XVI has said:As you know, the task of a teacher is not simply to impart information or to provide training in skillsintended to deliver some economic benefit to society; education is not and must never be consideredas purely utilitarian. It is about forming the human person, equipping him or her to live life to thefull – in short it is about imparting wisdom. And true wisdom is inseparable from knowledge of theCreator, for ‘both we and our words are in his hand, as are all understanding and skill in crafts’ (Wis7:16). 15Developments in the provision of tertiary education and a greater variety of routes into the teachingprofession have led to changes in the formation and preparation of teachers. Indeed, many of ourteachers may not have been trained in the Catholic sector and may come from a variety of academicbackgrounds. The perennial challenge for the Catholic community is to identify the best ways inwhich to develop the character and knowledge of Catholic teachers. The Catholic Certificate of ReligiousStudies remains a significant element in the formation of our teachers and we hope that many morewill undertake this and other courses. This concern with formation is not limited to teachers of ReligiousEducation, but extends to all Catholic teachers and indeed to Senior Leaders and Governorswith whom responsibility for Religious Education rests.Those responsible for Religious Education in our schools should:• be prepared to give living witness to what they teach;• recognise that they share in the teaching office of the Church exercised in the person of thelocal bishop and enshrined in the trust deed of the school;• fulfil their professional responsibilities with regard to all that develops and enhances the lifeof the Catholic school;• plan and teach schemes of work that are engaging and accessible so that all pupils mayprogress appropriately in their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;• have high expectations of all their pupils;• ensure that 10% of the curriculum to age 16 and 5% of the curriculum beyond the age of 16 isdevoted to Religious Education;• ensure that Religious Education contributes positively to the broad and balanced curriculumof a Catholic school through cooperation and dialogue with other subjects;• take care continually to deepen their own knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;• take seriously the duty of every Catholic to form his or her conscience;• be given opportunities for their own spiritual and professional development as Catholic educators.5
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Page 5 and 6: AbbreviationsCCC Catholic Church, C
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Appendix II — P ScalesReligious E
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