The Catholic Education Office welcomed several ACT Religious Education Coordinators (RECs) and teachers of senior Religious Education to the Catholic Education Office for a day of exploration into the new Religious Studies content provided by the ACT Board of Secondary Studies (BSSS). 

“Our ACT Secondary Colleges are in a unique position to introduce the new courses due to established practices of exploring various Faith Traditions, along with our own rich Catholic Tradition,” said Angus Tulley, Deputy Director of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. “The work our Colleges are doing with the Conceptual Inquiry Model, means our schools are well placed to transition into these new courses.”

The day was facilitated by Professor Peta Goldburg from the Australian Catholic University and Anne Armstrong of St Francis Xavier College, Florey. Together they guided participants through a solid understanding of the new content and the possibilities it presents for enriching student learning. 

RECs and teachers became more aware of the nature and purpose of the new courses. They were able to identify and develop implementation strategies to suit their individual contexts. 

The feedback received from participants was overwhelmingly positive.

“Breaking open new curriculum is equal parts excitement and terror,” said Nicola Edghill, Leader of Learning - Religious Education at St Clare’s College, Griffith. “The day was a powerful opportunity to unpack the new Religious Studies courses and to work collegially to consider the implications for our senior students. There is great power in collaborating and our strength as a System comes from the possibilities that we uncover when we work together.”

Jonathon Moyle, Assistant Principal Faith Leadership at St Mary Mackillop College said that the day provided a tremendous opportunity for leaders in Religious Studies to come together to workshop the finer details of the new courses. “It was fantastic to have Dr Peta Goldburg with us to refresh our understanding of curriculum in a Catholic context,” he said.