“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' ” (John 8:12)
The Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus is for young people who are seeking the light for their lives. It aims to aid the seeker’s (the learner) search for truth and purpose through a formal and systematic study of Catholic teaching. In doing so, the young person will come to a deeper understanding of the mystery and meaning of being human and an appreciation of the faith, hope, love, joy, peace and home of living as a Catholic Christian.
“The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear. It is not surprising, then, that in Him all the aforementioned truths find their root and attain their crown.” (Gaudium Et Spes, Pope Paul VI, 1965)
The central focus of the Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus is to develop and continually deepen an intimate relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ “The light of the world” (John 8:32) and his Church. In the classroom, this will be nurtured primarily through students’ exploration of Scripture and Catholic Tradition. Complimenting the opportunities within the faith culture of the school (such as liturgies, retreats and service learning), it will encourage each person to prayerfully consider Jesus’ call to be a missionary disciple.
“[Jesus Christ] loves you, dear young people, for you are the means by which he can spread his light and hope. He is counting on your courage, your boldness and your enthusiasm.” (Christus Vivit, Pope Francis, 2019)
By applying both faith and reason, the study of Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus will enrich the student’s learning in the other courses and qualifications undertaken throughout Years 11 and 12. Through an approach that aims to integrate faith and life, actively depending on the Holy Spirit, the learner will come to a greater “respect for human life from conception until its natural end; and respect for the family, for the community, for education and for work.” (Directory of Catechesis, Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, 2020, p. 188)
Teachers of Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus will give witness to, lead and accompany learners in their journey of discovery of the doctrine, liturgy, ethics and prayer traditions of the Catholic Church. They will seek to understand the significant contribution the Church has made (and continues to make) through salvation history in the lives of people. They will inspire, invite and equip learners to engage with, and effectively embody the richness of what the Catholic Church believes, celebrates, lives and prays. In so doing, the teacher will guide the learner to make a free, wise and courageous personal response to God’s unique call for their life, to actively participate in the positive transformation of the various spheres of our world (such as family, community, education and work). Teachers will do this using the Catechetical Foundation which is consistently used throughout the entire Good News for Living curriculum at all year levels.
THE CATECHETICAL FOUNDATION OF GOOD NEWS FOR LIVING
“Catechesis is an ecclesial act, arising from the missionary mandate of the Lord (cf Matt. 28:19-20) and aimed, as its very name indicates, at making the proclamation of his passion, death and resurrection continually resound in the heart of every person, so that his life may be transformed.” (Directory for Catechesis, Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, 2020, p. 53-55)
There is a Catechetical Foundation to Good News For Living. Catechesis is a profoundly personal experience between God and the individual person. God initiates these moments of faith, and the religious educator plays an important role in creating an environment for learning that can be conducive to these moments. The Directory for Catechesis identifies three essential characteristics in catechesis: knowledge, conversion and response:
The study of Good News For Living requires that the three essential characteristics in catechesis are planned and implemented within the learning and teaching program.
STRUCTURE, CONTENT AND SKILLS
The learning and teaching program of Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus is meaningfully structured around the study of the eight core elements of the Catholic faith: Jesus Christ, Christian Prayer, God, Church, Sacraments, Christian Life, Religion Culture and Society, and Scripture. It is through the exploration of these elements that students come to a deeper understanding of the richness of Catholic teaching and tradition. Ultimately, Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus aims to develop the learner’s capacity to apply their knowledge and understanding to their lives.
“Our goal as Catholic educators is the integral formation of the human person, which includes “preparation for professional life, formation of ethical and social awareness, developing awareness of the transcendental, and religious education”. As a consequence, our curriculum and instruction should foster the desire to seek wisdom and truth; the preference for social justice; the discipline to become self-learners; the capacity to recognise right moral action and the desire to transform and enrich the world with the love of Christ.” (Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools, 2016)
Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus continues the development of the understandings and skills acquired by the learner from Kinder to Year 10. It fosters a critical and intelligent approach to understanding and interpreting the teaching and thinking of the Catholic tradition, as well as the effective communication of informed accounts conveying detail, ideas and judgements. In doing so, Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus provides a foundation for further study; the world of work; informed and responsible citizenship; active participation in the life of the Church; and lifelong learning.
The approach to the study of Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 Syllabus is commensurate with the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, and, the Year 11 and 12 courses and qualifications accredited by the Office Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC) insofar as it develops skills of inquiry and communication in a critical, intelligent, imaginative and respectful engagement with the Christian faith and other faith traditions.
“Senior school students should have a Catholic studies program which is intellectually challenging, opening them to the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition.” Archbishop Julian Porteous (2021, p. 58)
REFERENCES
Pope Paul VI. (1965, December 7). Gaudium et spes. www.vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html
Pope Francis. (2019, March 25). “Christus vivit”: Post-Synodal Exhortation to Young People and to the entire People of God| www.vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20190325_christus-vivit.html
Pontifical Council For Promoting New Evangelization. (2020). Directory for Catechesis. St Pauls Publications.
(2016). Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools. Tasmanian Catholic Education Office. https://tascathed.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/175/the%20archbishop's%20charter%20for%20catholic%20schools%202016_web.pdf
Porteous, J. (2021). Foundations : preparing the Church in Australia for the plenary council and beyond. Connor Court Publishing.
REFERENCES
Department of Education and Training [DET]. (2019). Belonging, Being & Becoming : The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-02/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf
Good News For Living Year 11 and 12 Syllabus promotes wisdom by encouraging students to learn how to reflect ever more deeply on the fundamental questions of life. It helps to open their minds and hearts to receive the life-giving truth of God’s loving Revelation. It invites them into a relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ as the Revelation of God and their own true nature as human beings. It forms young people as they learn to discern and to live the message of the Gospel by helping them to:
OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING
OBJECTIVES
Through Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 students develop knowledge and understanding of:
Good News for Living is structured around eight core theological elements of the Catholic faith: Jesus Christ, Christian Prayer, God, Church, Sacraments, Christian Life, Religion Culture and Society, and Scripture. They each contain a set of prescribed core doctrinal concepts that are referenced to, and explained by, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and presented in ‘student-friendly’ language via the corresponding YOUCAT references (Table 1). The Knowledge and Understanding outcomes guide the learning and teaching of the core doctrinal concepts and are used to shape questions, frame investigations, organise information, suggest explanations, and develop modules of learning.
OUTCOMES
Through their learning a student will:
A. Identify and describe the core beliefs, practices and ethical values of the Catholic Tradition
B. Attribute the Catholic Christian understanding of the meaning and purpose of being human
C. Explain the contribution of the Catholic Church to the lives of believers and the wider community
REFERENCES
YOUCAT. (2011). YOUCAT - the youth catechism of the catholic church. Catholic Truth Society.
SKILLS FOR LEARNING AND LIVING
OBJECTIVES
Through Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 students develop skills for:
Centred on the Person of Jesus Christ, understood as the Word (logos) made flesh (cf. John 1:14), Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 promotes the development of students’ skills and capacity for prayerful reading and interpretation of Scripture in the light of Catholic Tradition and with the mind of the Church.
Recognising that Scripture is, like Christ, both a human and Divine Word, students will develop their skills and capacity to study Scripture in the context of the development of a personal, intellectual and spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ: “Were not our hearts burning within us as he explained the Scriptures to us on the road?” (Luke 24:32)
Acknowledging that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching…” (2 Tim. 3:16), Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 values the entire corpus of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments. With their accounts of the life and works of Jesus, the Gospels provide the principal focus and the Christological lens through which students will apply their reading, using the Four Senses of Scripture (literal, allegorical, moral, eschatalogical), so that the Word will be ultimately experienced by them as “a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path.” (Ps. 119:105).
Students will appreciate and apply faith and reason as complementary and compatible paths towards increased understanding of the meaning and purpose of their life and the world in which they live. By providing opportunities for students to apply their reasoning and understanding of Catholic doctrine the teacher will accompany learners to integrate faith, reason and action. For "not to act reasonably, not to act with logos, is contrary to the nature of God.”
Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 develops students’ capacity to apply their knowledge, understanding and skills to their lives. It promotes students’ growing capacity for personal responsibility grounded in reasoned thought and inquiry, making connections to other learning areas. It affects and forms their personal faith commitments, the expression and application of their commitments in social action, and their identity and relationships.
OUTCOMES
Through their learning a student will:
a. Plan, undertake and present findings from investigations into the Catholic Tradition using a range of sources and evidence
b. Identify, interpret, analyse and synthesise a range of Catholic Christian sources, such as Liturgy, Scripture, Magisterial documents, writings of Saints, contemporary Christian authors, iconography, architecture and Sacred music
c. Communicate religious understanding using doctrinal knowledge, religious concepts and terms, in appropriate and well-structured forms
d. Apply their prayerful reading and interpretation of Scripture, using the four senses, to foster their relationship with Jesus Christ
e. Integrate their reasoning and understanding of Catholic doctrine to apply to their own life
f. Reflect upon and examine their personal attitudes, values and moral habits, in the light of Catholic teaching
REFERENCES
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part One, Section One, Chapter 2, Article 3, III. The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture (The Senses of Scripture, 115-118). www.vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PQ.HTM
Apostolic Journey to München, Altötting and Regensburg: Meeting with the representatives of science in the Aula Magna of the University of Regensburg (September 12, 2006) | Benedict XVI. www.vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg.html
CAPACITY FOR MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP
OBJECTIVES
Through Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 students increase capacity for Missionary Discipleship by:
Conscious that “the Church exists to evangelise” (Evangelii Nuntiandi (December 8, 1975) | Pope Paul VI), Good News For Living Years 11 and 12 will help students recognise that, by virtue of their incorporation into Christ through Baptism, and given the gift of the Spirit of the Risen Christ, all Christians are called to actively participate in the mission of Jesus as his disciples (cf. Matt. 28:20), to exude the beauty and joy of faith as “the light for the world” (Matt. 5:14).
“The teacher of Religious Education collaborates in the evangelising mission of the Catholic school to proclaim the Gospel in both word and action. The role of the teacher of the Good News for Living extends beyond simply imparting knowledge, as the teacher is called to be an authentic witness of the Catholic Christian faith, inviting students into discipleship of Jesus Christ.”
Students will grow in appreciation of the meaning of being created as a child of God, and the significance of the Christian vocation to holiness and mission for Baptised persons. Students will be encouraged to prayerfully consider and respond to Jesus’ call to be a missionary disciple.
Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 will equip students as effective witnesses to the Gospel, first, through a Sacramental life of prayer, integrity and service, and second, through a readiness to offer a considered articulation of their beliefs, to respectfully and courageously offer reasons for their hope (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) to a world searching for meaning and purpose.
In order to assist students to grow as effective witnesses to the Gospel, Good News for Living Years 11 and 12 will emphasise the priority of their entrance into, and ongoing deepening of, an intimate union with Jesus Christ. Students will be instructed in how to be open to, and collaborate with, the Holy Spirit, who is the principal agent of missionary fruitfulness in all its dimensions.
Students will learn that paying attention to the uniqueness of every person, of listening with dignity and of loving unconditionally, are integral to a proper understanding of evangelisation.
OUTCOMES
Through their learning a student will:
I. Explore the specific vocation in which they can make a free gift of themself in the Church, through family life and work, open to the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit
II. Identify and recognise qualities that constitute and contribute to effective witness to Jesus as exemplified in the lives of the Saints
III. Develop their personal attributes for evangelisation
IV. Communicate the essence of the message of the kerygma, and testify to how the death and resurrection of Jesus provides the interpretative key to life, so as to share the Good News for a contemporary audience
V. Apply their knowledge and understanding and skills in collaboration with their teacher and other students to define, plan, facilitate (execute) and review a project or experience for evangelisation
REFERENCES
Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern World) (December 8, 1975) | Paul VI. www.vatican.va.
https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html
(2021). Religious Education Standards for Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Hobart. Archdiocese of Hobart / Catholic Education Tasmania. https://tascathed.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/1153/cet_religious_education_standards.pdf
Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment - as part of the learning program - is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.
The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course.
A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating.
A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.
Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the school.
The assessment of the Good News for Living Year 11 and 12 Syllabus will be based on the degree to which the learner can demonstrate the Outcomes for Knowledge and Understanding, Skills for Learning and Living, and Capacity for Missionary Discipleship.
Director: Catholic Identity and Evangelisation (CI&E): Mr Martin Tobin
E: martin.tobin@catholic.tas.edu.au
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P: 6210 8805
E: cieadmin@catholic.tas.edu.au
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