SUPPORT FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

1. Staff and Staff Development

In all schools the adult members of the community have the opportunity to enhance the ethos of the school by their conduct and by their good relationships with each other and with pupils. In Catholic schools Catholic teachers have a special role to play in the faith formation of the pupils through witness to their own faith and their involvement in the religious education of pupils in their care.

Headteachers and senior management staff have a duty to underline the importance of Religious Education within the curriculum of the Catholic school by ensuring that opportunities for staff development are taken up whenever possible. Under the arrangements for the devolved management of resources, time and money should be made available for inservice training, and for development of appropriate resources.

Primary School
In Primary Schools teachers have a direct contribution to make to the school community of faith through their involvement in the teaching of Religious Education at a very formative stage in the spiritual lives of the pupils. To support this contribution, headteachers should be attentive to the needs of staff with regard to inservice and resources. A systematic programme of staff development is essential.

Since the Religious Education programme in the primary sector includes the preparation for and the reception of the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and Confirmation, there are obvious opportunities for the school to work with families and parish in the faith formation of the children. It is also important for the formation of the children and for the spirit of the whole community that there is genuine, sympathetic communication between parents, priests and teachers.

Secondary School
In the majority of Catholic secondary schools there is at least one teacher with specific training in the teaching and organising of Religious Education. The appointment of a principal teacher, the setting up of a department are indications of the status accorded to Religious Education in the school curriculum. The work of the non-specialist teachers, who accept Religious Education as part of their remit, benefits from the support offered by the specialist(s) and Religious Education department.

The contribution of non-specialists to the Religious Education programme cannot he overstated. As representatives of the wider Catholic community of faith, non-specialist teachers share their faith experience with their pupils, guiding them on their journey of faith during a formative period in their lives.