The shape of religious education

The Religious Education Curriculum P-12, is prefaced by two documents from the Archbishop of Brisbane and the Executive Director of Brisbane Catholic Education. It is then followed by the vision and model for religious education and reference to: contemporary contexts; religious education in an archdiocesan ecumenical school and; school administration priorities for religious education.

Letter from the Archbishop of Brisbane

Foreword - the Executive Director

Foreword

Religious Education Curriculum Archdiocese of Brisbane (2013: 2020 revised edition) is the authoritative source document for religious education in all Catholic and ecumenical schools and colleges in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Introduction

The introduction outlines structure and sections of the curriculum.

The following provides the policy background to support both dimensions of religious education, the classroom learning and teaching of religion and the religious life of the school. It also articulates the vision for religious education, as well as the contemporary contexts in which high quality religious education is made accessible to school aged students.

The vision for religious education

The Vision for Religious Education emphasises the complementarity of the two dimensions of Religious Education and articulates a school’s aspirations for students in terms of their religious literacy and faith formation. In that sense the Vision begins with “the end in mind”.

The model of religious education

In the schools and colleges of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, teaching people religion and teaching people to be religious draw upon the Catholic Christian tradition in ways that are mindful of local contexts and the ecumenical and multi-faith realities of contemporary culture.

Model of Religious Education

Contemporary contexts of school religious education

Four contexts have been identified as having a significant impact on Religious Education in contemporary Catholic and ecumenical schools. They are:

Societal Context
Ecclesial Context
Educational Context
Digital Context.

No one context can be ignored and each offers opportunities and challenges to schools as they endeavour to deliver high quality Religious Education in faithful and authentically responsive ways.

Contemporary contexts of school Religious Education

Religious education in an archdiocesan ecumenical school

Religious Education in an ecumenical school is a partnership of family, school and the sponsoring local church communities. The ecumenical school setting has as its purpose the provision of a Christian education for its students.

Religious education in an Archdiocesan Ecumenical school

School administrative priorities for religious education

There are a number of administrative priorities that all schools in the Archdiocese of Brisbane need to address in the delivery of a high quality Religious Education curriculum across Prep to Year 12.

School administrative priorities for Religious Education