“There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools

This article examines how student voice informed the development of <i>Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith</i>, the national Religious Education (RE) curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Through student-submitted RE questions and 63 informal Zoom-based “Interschool Catholic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Colin MacLeod
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/887
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This article examines how student voice informed the development of <i>Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith</i>, the national Religious Education (RE) curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Through student-submitted RE questions and 63 informal Zoom-based “Interschool Catholic Yarns” with over 400 senior students over several years, the National Centre for Religious Studies gathered valuable insights into student experience and expectations. These contributions influenced RE curriculum content, nuance, and priorities. Emphasising accessible engagement with young people, the two outlined approaches align with Catholic commitments to synodality and formation. This article demonstrates that engaging student voice is both possible and necessary in designing RE that is meaningful, faithful, and grounded.
ISSN:2077-1444