Why Textbooks: A reflection on New Zealand experience

This article reflects on the experience of producing Religious Education textbooks for Catholic schools in New Zealand

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Stories, Heroes and Silence

This paper considers the role of religious education in secondary schools run by faith communities in the postmodern situation of the early 21st century. It raises the place of wisdom in the search for a curriculum that addresses questions of meaning and identity for young people, and makes a case for the value of elements of the tradition such as story, heroes and silence. It also draws on the work of Robert Kegan and others to sound a note of caution about the danger of expecting too much of students.

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Religious Education and the National Curriculum: A Catholic perspective

In this article we first consider the nature of Religious Education and distinguish it from the related activities, evangelisation and catechesis, and from indoctrination. We then discuss the place of Religious Education in the curriculum both in a Catholic context and in schools in general. In the third section we consider the advantages and disadvantages of placing Religious Education in a national curriculum. Finally we compare the philosophy behind the national curriculum with that of the Religious Education curriculum for Catholic primary schools.

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