Studies in Catholic Thought trialled at St Joseph’s Catholic College East Gosford
Our young people are bombarded daily with information from digital news and entertainment platforms with no accompanying guidebook to support how they might discern real sources of truth.
Where do they turn when confronted with outrageous claims about politics, the human person and society, or endless news stories of manipulation like fake moon landings?
To a young person – often this is their only reality. Learning how to be a 21st century critical thinker who is rigorous and robust in their discernment of ‘truth’ inside this digital noise is something that must be taught from an early age.
In a desire for a common Religious Education curriculum to run across all 11 dioceses in NSW, the Province bishops also saw the need to adopt an approach that integrates both faith and reason, developing an understanding of how a moral and ethical life flows naturally from the Catholic Church’s understanding of what it is to be human. The bishops are seeking a course which promotes critical thinking and moral reasoning and enables students to know, understand, celebrate and live-out their Catholic faith.
To bring this to life, a team of academics and practitioners in theology and education, including Professor Anthony Maher, (Adjunct Research Professor, CSU) and Academic Education Office for the Catholic Schools Office in Broken Bay, developed a new syllabus - Studies in Catholic Thought.
This Religious Education curriculum has just been successfully piloted in NSW by the 2018 Year 11 cohort at St Joseph’s Catholic College, East Gosford, with the hope that it will be widely adopted throughout NSW from 2019.
In December, Professor Maher joined the cohort and teaching staff at St Joseph’s to acknowledge the successful outcomes of students in this new field of study along with the skill and dedication of the RE teachers.
In addressing the students at the award ceremony, Prof. Maher spoke to the importance of the course in seeking truth from falsehood.
“Where do you get your information from? And do you know what a lie is, who is tricking you, and how to find the truth from presupposition or ideology?”
“This course teaches how to recognise the differences between a lie, an opinion and a fact.”
Studies in Catholic Thought provides an opportunity for the development of a Religious Education curriculum which is theologically sound, academically robust and stimulating; one which provides experiences of learning which engage, challenge, extend and empower students. To this end, it is proposed that the new curriculum is informed by a Liberal Arts approach. Students will not approach this subject as an objective study of Religious Traditions, but within a Religious Tradition, enriching them both intellectually and spiritually. To this end, it is proposed that the new Catholic Studies course be distinctive in nature, purpose and content.
Professor Maher said, “It is important for young people to know how to form their own opinion, and really important that we all know how to challenge and test what is true.”
Amber Cox and Sarah Wheatley were awarded a joint 2nd place for their achievements at the gathering, with Saskia Foster coming in 1st place overall.
“I enjoyed the Studies in Catholic Thought program as I consider philosophy to be an integral aspect of any academic subject,” said Saskia.
“Philosophy imparts significance on everyday life and I am grateful for the program as it has supported me in my other classes in which I’ve been able to employ its epistemological methods in much of my subject matter.
“I found this course to be particularly edifying and contextually pertinent to our current ‘age of uncertainty’. I am very thankful for this opportunity and will carry it with me throughout my life.”
Nadia Rankin who was presented a special Application Award also spoke highly of this new opportunity.
“My experiences of learning the newly introduced subject have given me a platform and confidence to express my beliefs and passion for social justice. The incorporation of philosophy, religion and modern examples make it much more interesting and relatable to discuss our opinions and what drives to find the truth and morality in real life scenarios. This topic enables these inner voices we have in us to help shape our world for the better.”
The Studies in Catholic Thought will be available in Broken Bay systemic schools from Term One 2019.
