| Section 4
CATERING
FOR THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL PUPILS
Pupils with special educational needs
| All pupils should have the opportunity to participate in,
and benefit from, the full range of experiences offered by
Religious and Moral Education. Programmes should be designed
to meet the wide range of special educational needs of pupils
in mainstream primary and secondary schools, special classes
or units and in special schools, some of which are residential. |
Planning should be on the basis of a whole school approach, in
which there is an emphasis on positive attitudes, planned collaboration
and agreement on content, time-scales and methodology, within
a context which provides support for individual pupils. Promoting
understanding through practical activities and engaging pupils
in experiences of helping and being helped by others are as important
and as valuable as formal work.
Learning and teaching approaches should ensure that abler pupils
are challenged to extend their attainments and that those with
physical or sensory impairments or those with specific, moderate
or severe learning difficulties, are all given opportunities to
realise their full potential, using the materials and resources
at the school's disposal. Teachers should also be sensitive to
special needs which may arise from time to time as a result of
personal experiences such as, for example, bereavement; or the
particular religious practices of some pupils, such as fasting
at Ramadan.
The specific learning difficulties which pupils experience in
the area of Religious and Moral Education arise from:
factors relating to the range of life experiences
which pupils bring to their learning;
difficulties in learning through reading and
writing;
difficulties in understanding and explaining
abstract concepts;
slower progress through the stages of moral
development (for example progressing beyond the egocentric stage);
difficulties in relating to others;
having a poor or unrealistic self-image.
In dealing with Christianity and Other World Religions
with pupils with such difficulties, it will be important to approach
concepts through experience, preferably first hand experience
wherever possible, of festivals, ceremonies and customs. In dealing
with Personal Search, particular emphasis may need to be
given to experiences of awe and wonder in response to nature;
and experiences of relating to others in class and meeting others
(people who care for us, for example) outside the classroom. Particular
sensitivity may need to be exercised in dealing with questions
about suffering and death in relation to personal experience.
The purposes of personal search, however, should always be borne
in mind and pupils encouraged to come to an understanding of themselves,
others and the world of which they are part, in ways which are
appropriate to their needs.
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