Dunedin school staff upskill in religious education

This year, the New Zealand bishops have formalised the expected minimum qualifications for teachers delivering religious education programmes across the country. This is to ensure that staff are trained and qualified to teach RE in Catholic schools.

In Dunedin Diocese, Bishop Michael Dooley asked Catholic school principals and boards to support teachers to study Catholic Theological College papers titled “Religious Education Today” and “Spirituality for Teachers”.

He also encouraged staff to take the “What Catholics Believe” unit, when time allowed.

In order to support schools to upskill their staff who do not already have these qualifications, Sue Maynard, the religious education advisor from St Patrick’s Invercargill, has been tutoring staff.

It is expected that more staff will undertake these courses next year.

The Religious Education Today unit enables students “to explore and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the language, effective teaching and assessment of religious education within Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand”. This is “in the context of the primary and secondary religious education curriculum statements prescribed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference”.

The Spirituality for Teachers unit provides students “the opportunity to explore the meaning of Christian spirituality; practical suggestions to enhance the place of prayer and liturgy in the life of a Catholic school community; and the opportunity to examine the impact of faith development on the growth and development of the spirituality of children and/or adolescents in the context of a Catholic School in Aotearoa New Zealand”.

The What Catholics Believe course “explores the concepts and beliefs that have shaped the Catholic tradition and so provide a background to understanding Catholic identity”.

FULL STORY

Catholic Diocese of Dunedin (Catholic Diocese of Dunedin)

Religious Education (Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College)

Theology (Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College)