Junior Cycle Religion
Religious Education aims to develop knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and values to enable young people to come to an understanding of religion and its relevance to life, relationships, society and the wider world. It aims to develop the students’ ability to examine questions of meaning, purpose and relationships, to help students understand, respect and appreciate people’s expression of beliefs, and to facilitate dialogue and reflection on the diversity of beliefs and values that inform responsible decision-making and ways of living. Religious Education is an exam subject at Junior Cycle, with two Classroom- Based assessments carried out in Second and Third Year and an Assessment Task, worth 10% carried out in
Third Year.
Senior Cycle Religion
Religion at senior cycle is offered in Leaving Certificate Applied, Transition Year and in Fifth and Sixth Year.
Leaving Certificate Applied Religious Education
This religious education syllabus seeks to support the holistic aims of education by promoting personal growth and facilitating spiritual development. It engages the students in the human search for meaning
and offers them an opportunity to reflect, understand and interpret that experience in the light of our changing world. It invites students to examine religious stories, and where appropriate, their own religious story, and to value their place within it now and in the future. It exposes them to a broad range of religious traditions and encourages the promotion of mutual understanding and tolerance. It facilitates moral development through the application of a process of moral decision- making. It is assessed by a number of key assignments throughout the year.
Transition Year
This programme is designed by a group of teachers, which aims to develop all aspects of the individual including aesthetic, creative, critical, emotional, intellectual, moral, and spiritual development. Themes of study range from our roots in pre-Christian Ireland and the rich Dominican tradition to exploring how the search for meaning for all people has found and continues to find expression in religion, e.g. Buddhism. Students complete a portfolio for assessment.
Fifth Year Religion
Students in fifth year follow a modular approach in religion with each module taking 6 weeks. Again the development of the student is at the centre of the course and topics covered include, Social Justice, Gender, Religion and Spirituality, The Search for Meaning, Prayer and Cults. It is a wide ranging course and offers the student opportunities to develop their own understanding, opinions and viewpoints on topics of interest. It is a non-exam subject.
Sixth Year Religion
This programme aims to promote the personal growth and spiritual development of our students, it offers them an opportunity to reflect, understand and interpret the experiences of others in an ever changing world. We aim to do this by inviting in speakers on a weekly basis to talk about such things as, their personal story, their role in the community or the services they offer. Examples of speakers include, Governor of Mountjoy women’s prison, The Rape Crisis Centre, The Council for the Blind, AA, Mental Health, Trocaire and SVP. It is a non-exam subject.