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CHURCHES NEW APPROACH TO PRIMARY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
A new religious education programme for primary schools in both the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland is launched today in Dublin by the Church of Ireland, the Methodist and the Presbyterian Churches.
The programme entitled, Follow Me, has been developed with the assistance of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Commission on Catechetics and its publishing arm Veritas. It is designed for use in primary schools under Protestant Patronage.
Speaking at the launch today the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, said: "Religious Education of children in schools in both jurisdictions in Ireland is of vital importance to this Church of Ireland. That is why we have a Board of Education for each jurisdiction and a Board for the whole of Ireland.
"This Church finds itself in radically different circumstances in both jurisdictions. In the Republic we provide the majority of primary schools for the protestant population.
"In Northern Ireland we work in partnership with the five local education authorities and the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches . In the field of Religious Education - Northern Ireland perhaps quite surprisingly to the rest of the world has given a unique lead in that the Catholic Church and the three main reformed churches ten years ago produced a common core programme in Religious Education. This has brought forth much fruit and a process of revision of this core, I hope, is about to be agreed between the four Churches and the Department.
"I am delighted that a similar partnership between the Churches has been a major contribution to this production.
"We know it will be of immense value and blessing to our schools in the Republic - and I hope it will also prove to be a useful additional resource to parishes throughout the island. Good teachers have never confined their search for resources to one Church or one country."
Canon John McCullagh, secretary of the Church of Ireland Board of Education, said: "This new programme reflects both the Republic of Ireland's Primary School Curriculum and the Northern Ireland Common Core Religious Education Programme.
"The content is lively and eye-catching with a clear Biblical base. It seeks to underline the parents' role in education by including sections for sharing by children and parents.
"Teachers will find Follow Me a well resourced and educationally sound approach to religious education providing for a wide range of teaching styles and methodologies with clear links to other areas of the curriculum."
The special guest speaker at today's launch was Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, an educationalist of international standing and recently appointed President of Dublin City University.
Professor Prondzynski said: " At the current time, Ireland is at a crossroads. Until recently, the country had a remarkably homogenous frame of reference, with a widely shared national, cultural and religious outlook. It was tolerant of other traditions and practices, but these were at the margins of society. To some extent, it could be argued that the shared framework was underpinned by economic hardship, emigration and shared disadvantage.
"In recent years, this dominant frame of reference has been compromised. The shared ethical and religious values have been undermined by a growing materialism, as well as revelations about individual behaviour within organised religion. The traditional deference given to those in authority has all but disappeared. At the same time, tolerance has also been eroded, as is shown in the growth of racism.
"In this setting, the nurturing of a sense of ethical values, particularly at a young age, has become far more important, and these must be presented in a form which is accessible in a modern setting and to an audience whose attention is easily diverted. The programme Follow Me represents an important initiative to achieve these aims. It has been intelligently assembled and attractively set out, and its ecumenical origins are particularly commendable.
"It is to be hoped that it will make a significant contribution to the renewed growth of an ethically aware and responsible society."
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare, chaired the Churches Committee overseeing the development of the programme. The editor and co-ordinator of Follow Me is Mrs Jacqui Wilkinson, a teacher who has great experience and expertise in the field of Religious Education.
Further information from:
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