Religious Education

In a Catholic School, students have the opportunity to engage with a range of formative and educative experiences that support their overall development and their religious self-understanding and spirituality.

Religious Education lies at the heart of the Catholic school. [1] It encompasses the teaching of Religion as well as retreats, prayer experiences and liturgies in the Catholic tradition, social justice activities and opportunities for service learning.

The Religion Curriculum for the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton, provides the foundation for Religious Education in our Catholic schools. It develops in children and young people knowledge and understanding about Christianity in the Catholic tradition, as well as skills and positive dispositions.

The Religion Curriculum sets out to help young people become informed, critical thinkers about religion. Although it is not primarily a religious experience, it teaches young people about spiritual and moral issues from a Catholic viewpoint. It interprets the signs of the times and encourages students to engage in a dialogue between the richness of the Catholic tradition and their personal experiences in the contemporary cultural context.[2]

As a learning area, the Religion Curriculum has equivalent demands to learning and teaching as in other areas so that our students can become informed and active contributors in a faith community and as Australian and global citizens.

The National Catholic Education Commission, Framing paper: Religious Education in Australian Catholic Schools (2018) provides further insights into Religious Education curriculum design and practice in dioceses across Australia. It complements the Diocesan Religion Curriculum.

[1] National Catholic Education Commission (2018) Framing Paper. Religious Education in Australian Catholic schools. 5.

[2] NCEC, Religious Education Framing Paper.11.

The Formation, Identity and Religious Education Team (FIARE) 

Members of the FIARE Team at the Catholic Education Office, under the leadership of the Assistant Director: Mission, support Catholic schools and colleges by:

• assisting with the development, implementation and review of the Diocesan Religion Curriculum and school Religion programs
• providing advice to key personnel such as Assistant Principals – Religious Education (APREs), Assistant Principals – Mission (APMission) and Heads of RE departments
• assisting teachers to gain and maintain their Accreditation to Teach Religion
• coordinating cohorts participating in the Post Graduate Certificate in Religious Education through CQUniversity
• providing leadership in the area of Religious Education and staff formation
• offering assistance in the area of personal and social development education
• purchasing resources that can be loaned to schools and colleges
• assisting students to complete their Religion units as part of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) at CQUniversity