After two years of searching for a better religion curriculum for high school students, St. Thomas More parish school of religion is taking a strong academic approach this year. Sister Louann Sciubba, S.N.D., parish coordinator explains why.

By Sister Louann Sciubba

Two years ago the high school students met one hour each Sunday morning for a discussion lecture session. These sessions followed a loosely designed curriculum. They were on topics of interest to the students: ethics, sex, love and friendship, other religions.

Last year we searched again for meaningful content and added “forms of human community” to the curriculum plan while repeating some of the other themes. We incorporated ‘happenings’ into our program - evening get-togethers designed to be social and instructional. We felt that these would be a good ground for informal dialogue, new interpersonal relationships and some form of community experience.

Gallagher Curriculum

In June of ‘69 we were still in search of a better curriculum plan. Mr. Michael Gallagher had designed a curriculum for the Catholic high school program and we worked with him to adapt it to our schedule.

Given our past frustration with repetition in the more student directed curriculum, the faculty agrees with Mr. Gallagher’s approach:

1) that young people need to develop a sense of history so that they can see their ‘how’ questions in a broader context of human experience;

2) that they need to see that other men both within the Catholic tradition and among other traditions have asked the same questions;

3) they need to see their own Catholic tradition as what is unchanging truth and what is dated for specific times and cultures;

In Historical Context

Presently we are taking a strong academic approach in the Sunday morning sessions. The teacher presents content from a specific period in history (each teacher takes one area and repeats his course four times in the year). He tries to relate the material to the students’ own problems, beliefs and ethics. This is not so easy to do, but it is vital if the student is to sense that all this study is significant to answering his own questions.

To date how do the students respond? They complain about the work - reading, writing papers: “It’s too much like school!” Some will admit that “There is strict knowledge we have to know which is good to a point but can become boring.” They ask for more discussions about contemporary things. The faculty are trying to choose appropriate ideas from their areas of study. The second, third, and fourth time through the same course will provide opportunity for better choices by the teacher.

We have built into the calendar year a “happening” at the end of each semester. It is here that we can be informal and more “catechetical” in approach.

We encourage student participation in the diocesan formation weekends, these also have a more ‘experience’ oriented approach. We do not have enough “happenings,” according to the students’ response.

From our three years experience we can make a few general statements about religious education for high school people.

High school students have brains, and they use them for other subjects in order to see relationships and to gain insights. Questions of faith and life are worthy of insight, so brains should be used to gain understanding. But - the students don’t like intellectual work. So, do we as their leaders take a stand for having them work or do we let them talk “off the cuff” all the time in a “now” frame of reference?

More Than Intellects

Because young people are more than intellects, sheer intellectual pursuit of insight does not meet all formation needs. Unless kids feel that their teachers really know them, love them, and care about them, they will not freely express their questions, and they will easily feel that they are being forced to conform, or that they are being lorded over, etc. So we feel it is vital to provide informal, social, personal communication of teachers and students. Here the dimensions of witness to the faith and experience of community or fellowship have their formative effect.

Academic and Catechetical

Whatever the structural organization, a good program will be both academic and catechetical. Mr. Gallagher’s curriculum provides a working academic plan.