Section 1
CONTEXT
“Education and school and university education were always at the centre of the contribution of the Catholic Church to civic life. She defended the freedom of education when, in secular and secularist cultures, the space for forming people to religious values seemed to be shrinking. Through education, she continued to support the principles and values of public coexistence when modern societies, deluded by scientific and technological (as well as legal and cultural) achievements, believed the Catholic culture to be meaningless. Today, as in every age, the Catholic Church still has the responsibility to contribute, with her heritage of truths and values, to building a fraternal humanism for a world ready to accomplish what was foreseen in the encyclical letter.” Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (1967), n. 28.
1.1 For us and our time - Changing contexts The Tradition of the Catholic Church is a dynamic reality shaped by every generation, as living witnesses respond to the presence of Jesus Christ among them. The challenge for educators is to nurture our own faith response whilst being mindful of the lives of our students and the historical context in which we live. The Second Vatican Council reminded us that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in a variety of ways but especially through Sacred Scripture, through the Tradition of the Church and through the “signs of the times,” that is, “authentic signs of God’s presence and purpose in the happenings, needs and desires” shared by contemporary people (Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes 1965, n.11). Responding to the “signs of the times” in the Church and in the world, increased pluralisation, detraditionalisation, and individualisation commits this Religious Education curriculum to an intentional focus on dialogue, recontextualisation and reconciliation. Reconciliation, central to the mission of Jesus and a meaningful model for evangelisation, is the transformation of the heart that leads to the unity of all creation with God through restoring right relationships. With particular attention to relationships with First Nations people of Australia, reconciliation is a vital process towards a deep understanding and sharing of a sense of interconnectedness with all of creation. True Reconciliation requires three things: recognition of different stories, an appreciation of different legacies and an invitation to action.
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“In calling to mind the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change. The Australian bishops spoke of the importance of such conversion for achieving reconciliation with creation: To achieve such reconciliation, we must examine our lives and acknowledge the ways in which we have harmed God’s creation through our actions and our failure to act. We need to experience a conversion, or change of heart.” Pope Francis, Laudato Si (2015), n.218.
Understanding and defining the role of Religious Education in the Catholic School encompasses understanding the world of the student, focusing especially on the family, the classroom curriculum and methodology within the context of Church. Articulating and expressing Catholic identity in a postmodern context of plurality and ambiguity presents the challenge of finding meaningful and authentic ways of connecting with God, self and others. An holistic curriculum needs to be presented to inform about the spiritual wisdom of the Christian faith found in the Scriptures, in Tradition and in the Liturgy. This engages young people’s reason, memory and imagination, leading to a whole way of life reflected in the total life of the school community where family, school and parish work together. Catholic Identity is personal, but it is lived in community with all of creation. Learning and teaching in Religious Education must respond to changing contexts and circumstances. This forms part of the process of recontextualisation. Source of Life offers an invitation, a structured approach and an evaluative framework to teachers and leaders, so that they are empowered to respond creatively to the challenges they face. These challenges include those articulated here.
1.1.1 Directions in Australian Society •
opening up opportunities to honour, celebrate and embrace the First Nations histories
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moving towards healing through Faith and dialogue with First Nations people
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significant challenge to religious freedom in a secular society which is more hostile and indifferent towards religion and in which antipathy and apathy have increased
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more open and vulnerable to global issues and patterns
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more concern for national identity and character leading to intolerance and conflict in society
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noticeable changes in the fabric of family life, social life and in our work pattern
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more diverse ethnically, including religious traditions
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increasing wealth in an increasingly impoverished region
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more concern for the environment and climate change
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Catholics being no longer the largest group on the census in the category Religious Affiliation (this is now “No Religion”), Catholics are still the largest group identifying as religious
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decreased respect for authority and social institutions.
“In regard to the Aboriginal people of your land, there is still much to be achieved … Commitment to truth opens the way to lasting reconciliation through the healing process of asking forgiveness and granting forgiveness – two indispensable elements for peace. In this way our memory is purified, our hearts are made serene, and our future is filled with a well-founded hope in the peace which springs from truth.” Pope Benedict XVI, address to Australia’s new Ambassador to the Holy See, May 2006.
1.1.2 Directions in the Australian educational context •
development of a National Curriculum and national testing with an emphasis on employability and work readiness
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alignment of National Curriculum frameworks around a standards-based approach aimed at promoting deep understanding
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extended learning pathways and alternative learning environments for students, especially in the Post-Compulsory Years
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increasing impact of information and communications technologies in all curriculum areas
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articulation of professional standards of practice for staff in Catholic schools
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greater accountability of staff in Catholic schools to the government and parents
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focus on the shared responsibility of education with learning conversations among parents, students and teachers
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greater engagement in the community.
1.1.3 Changes in the Catholic community •
decreasing participation by Catholics in regular worship and church-based activities
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broader range of beliefs and values held by Catholic people
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greater solidarity and dialogue with Christians of other traditions and people of other faiths which include the First Nations people of Australia
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the sexual abuse crisis is impacting the morale, identity and participation of the Catholic community in formal religious practices
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support available for people who have been abused in the Church and for those affected by that abuse
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decreasing Catholic population in Australia
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increasing levels of education.
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1.1.4 Changes in Catholic schools •
schools, staff and leaders becoming more familiar with the language and theology of the Enhancing Catholic School Identity approach
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more students and families with little or no explicit religious participation
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an increase in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
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staff support recontextualisation in schools; however, students still supporting values education
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staff and students supporting a pedagogy of dialogue (ECSI)
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agreement with post critical belief amongst students decreasing over time, relativism increasing (ECSI)
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greater awareness of accountability and standards
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challenges of securing staff with the necessary workplace expertise and Accreditation to teach in a Catholic school
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challenges of attracting committed Catholic leaders
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higher expectations to meet a range of student needs
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many teachers pursuing courses in Accreditation for Religious Education
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percentage of Catholics attending Catholic schools remaining stable
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a greater awareness of ecological spirituality and care for creation.
1.1.5 Directions in Church teaching on Catholic schools •
centrality of the development of the human person
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inclusion, respect, collaboration and interreligious dialogue
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role of the school in the mission of new evangelisation
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enhancing the religious dimension of all curriculum areas
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the contribution of Catholic schools to the common good of society and care of creation
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the school as a fundamental part of Church community
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formation of spirituality in a global context
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the rich vocational nature of teaching.
Within the context of the Church, the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992, English edition, 1994), the General Directory for Catechesis (1997), The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium (1997), Educating Together in Catholic Schools (2007), Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools (2013), Educating to Fraternal Humanism (2017), NCEC, Religious Education in Australian Schools: Framing Paper (2018) have all influenced the development and implementation of Religious Education curriculum documents across Australia. (La Salle Academy Publication No.2). Since the publication of the LaSalle academy Publication No. 2 a new Directory for Catechesis (2020) has been released by The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
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“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20.
1.2 Features and Components of the Religious Education Curriculum The Source of Life Religious Education curriculum responds to the contemporary context by having the following features: •
Its reference points for content are Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium, particularly as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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Its reference points for methodology are found in the General Directory for Catechesis and the Church’s documents on evangelisation in Catholic education, catechesis and religious education; the commitment to a critical and creative adaptation of Shared Christian Praxis with an awareness of recontextualisation and the hermeneutical communicative model as suggested by Enhancing Catholic School Identity research and theology; and current research on teaching and learning.
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Its reference point for curriculum structure is standards-based education as articulated in contemporary educational documents and reflected in curriculum practice.
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It recognises the essential educational partnership of home, school, parish and diocese, and sees classroom-based Religious Education as one significant component of a broader education in faith provided and supported by all these groups.
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Its content includes a strong social justice focus, including reconciliation with First Nations Australians. Aboriginal perspectives are incorporated across strands and units. Special attention is given to ecology, spirituality and creation theology.
“We need to look at our communities with a contemplative gaze, a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their homes, in their streets and squares. God’s presence accompanies the sincere efforts of individuals and groups to find encouragement and meaning in their lives. He dwells among them, fostering solidarity, fraternity, and the desire for goodness, truth and justice. This presence must not be contrived but found, uncovered. God does not hide himself from those who seek him with a sincere heart, even though they do so tentatively, in a vague and haphazard manner.” Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013), n.71.
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1.3 Foundations 1.3.1 Purpose “Religious Education in Australian Catholic schools develops students’ knowledge and understandings of Christianity in the light of Jesus and the Gospel, and its unfolding story and diversity within contemporary Australian and global society. It expands students’ spiritual awareness and religious identity, fostering their capacities and skills in discerning, interpreting, thinking critically, seeking truth and making meaning. It challenges and inspires their service to others and engagement in the Church and the world.” NCEC, Framing Paper Religious Education in Australian Catholic Schools, 2018 p.7.
1.3.2 Guiding Principles The Religious Education curriculum to be taught in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sandhurst is Source of Life as promulgated by the Bishop of Sandhurst as the mandated curriculum. Religious Education leadership is crucial in animating the Catholic Identity of the school. The Principal and others have the responsibility for religious leadership in the school. The development of this curriculum is centred on the person and mission of Jesus Christ and has been guided by the clear principles enunciated below. Religious Education: 1.
invites a person into a relationship with the Risen Christ in the context of community;
2.
encourages and provides skills for self-reflection, articulation of personal beliefs and meaning framework;
3.
is attentive to the interior, spiritual, reflective capacities and dimensions of students and staff;
4.
develops an awareness of God, self, others and creation through an intellectual and spiritual journey in the context of the Catholic Tradition;
5.
recognises that learners live in a number of different “worlds” including online, peer group, school, home and parish;
6. has Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) as the principal sources for the Religious Education program; 7.
has its own intellectual rigour which seeks to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that flow from the Catholic Tradition;
8.
acknowledges that learners have diverse faith profiles and faith stances, such that Religious Education needs to incorporate a pre-evangelisation stance as well as catechesis;
9.
calls us to respect God’s creation and responsibly exercise our creative spirit;
10.
opens possibilities for personal meaning-making;
11.
offers reflective learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom; a sequential F-12 course of study; Source of Life Core Document (2020)
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12.
promotes Post Critical Belief through a recontextualisation of the Catholic Tradition (as the host tradition) in dialogue with other faith traditions and life philosophies;
13. requires a pedagogy through which teachers can be seen as witnesses, specialists and moderators so as to invite students to discipleship and mission; 14. is taught, developed and resourced with the same commitment as all other learning areas; 15. involves the expectation that teachers of Religious Education will have achieved the appropriate accreditation within five years of gaining employment in Catholic schools and will maintain the required qualification Accreditation to Teach Religious Education and Lead in a Catholic School; 16. supports and contributes to a systematic, holistic and comprehensive school learning environment which includes the prayer, liturgical and sacramental life of the school, opportunities for retreats and reflection experiences, community outreach, social action and justice programs and the embedding of a Catholic perspective or Catholic worldview across the whole school curriculum; 17. links our Catholic story to our own personal story, connecting life and faith, faith and culture; 18. nurtures familiarity with, respect for, and acceptance of different religious positions so that we can live peacefully and justly together; and, 19. engages students with the implications of faith for personal morality and the ethics of shared life in society, which may be expressed and developed through social justice programs. Diocese of Sandhurst, Religious Education Policy (2020).
1.4 Aims Religious Education is a lifelong process to which Catholic schooling contributes. Its aims are to: •
foster an encounter with the risen Christ;
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create opportunities for each individual to grow in understanding of, and relationship with, Christ who reveals God;
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assist individuals to know and celebrate the Catholic faith Tradition, to appreciate the faith traditions of others, and to grow in literacy in faith;
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provide opportunities for individuals to search, experience, participate, question, critique and dialogue on matters of faith and meaning with the view of growing in the art of discernment;
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provide opportunities for individuals to participate in the life and rituals of the Catholic community, where faith is celebrated, proclaimed, nourished and communicated to others;
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guide individuals to interpret the contemporary culture in the light of Catholic Tradition and become transforming agents in the world; and
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encounter, learn from, share and engage with Aboriginal Spirituality, diverse histories and cultures.
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“You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and that contribution has been joyfully received by others.” Pope John Paul II to Aboriginal Australians, Alice Springs, 29 November, 1986. In responding to the ‘signs of the times’ and the mission of reconciliation, it is the intention of this curriculum to: •
be faithful to the Tradition of the Catholic Church while drawing on the richness of contemporary theology;
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belong within the culture of the school, working in harmony with home and parish;
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be inclusive in that it respects and responds to differences in culture, background and experiences, in particular to First Nations Australians;
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employ effective strategies for teaching and learning, especially those that can most engage students in reflective exploration of Catholic teaching, culture and worship: and
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be organised within a sequential F-12 framework, supported by appropriate policies and programs.
1.5 The Process of Developing the Religious Education Curriculum 2002 Initiation and initial meeting of the Inter-Diocesan Religious Education Project between the Dioceses of Ballarat, Sale, Sandhurst and the Archdiocese of Hobart. 2003 Inter-Diocesan Project Team met frequently. Draft Core Document prepared. 2004 Draft core document completed with consultation with priests, principals and Religious Education Co-ordinators and parents. Draft Curriculum Framework prepared. Unit Outline writing teams established and revision completed. 2005 Publication and promulgation of the Religious Education Curriculum Core Document, Source of Life. 2006 Continued implementation and ongoing evaluation together with school-based professional development. 2007 Definitive promulgation of the Religious Education Curriculum, Source of Life for the Diocese of Sandhurst.
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2018 Comprehensive review of the curriculum with consultation with priests, school leaders, Religious Education Leaders, parents and students. The name Source of Life was affirmed and retained. 2019 Religious Education Writing Team established to revise the curriculum and prepare a new format as outlined in the review documents, under the direction of the Religious Education Executive. 2020 Publication and promulgation of the revised Religious Education Curriculum website.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Heb 13:8
1.6 Overview of Source of Life
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Protocols for changing and updating material The Source of Life curriculum is the mandated curriculum for all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sandhurst. The presentation of the curriculum is designed to be flexible and updatable. Any changes to the Source of Life Framework and Core Document must come through the Religious Education Writing Team and be approved by the Director of Catholic Education or their delegate. The currency and content of Units of Work will be maintained and updated by the CES Religious Education Team on a regular basis. Interpretations of the policy and curriculum by schools will be moderated by the Deputy Director: Catholic Mission and Identity and the Episcopal Vicar for Education. Schools are responsible for contextualising learning and teaching experiences for their students and providing feedback to the Religious Education Team regarding units. A major review of the Source of Life curriculum will occur every five years.
Religious Education Writing Team The Bishop will appoint members to the Religious Education Writing Team. The Religious Education Writing Team will consist of the Deputy Director: Catholic Mission and Identity, CES Religious Education Team staff and others appointed by the Bishop. The Deputy Director: Catholic Mission and Identity will chair the Writing Team meetings. The REWT will meet as needed. All gatherings of the Team will be called by the Chair. The first REWT will be appointed from January 2021. Members will be appointed for a period of 3 years, renewable.
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