EXAMPLES OF CATHOLIC CURRICULUM
As explained earlier, education in a Catholic school ensures the Catholic faith permeates all curricula and everything done in the school. Examples of this permeation include teaching science in the context of the Catholic view on stewardship, or incorporating the Church's teachings on social justice into social studies. These Catholic curriculum initiatives incorporate the essential elements of both provincial curricula and the Catholic faith.
Other examples of Catholic Curriculum:
- Literature - "Instead of studying literature with a technical rationality that dissects and 'masters' texts, it can be approached as a 'mirror of life'… to glean wisdom from how others have grappled with living humanly. With this attitude, good literature can reflect the 'word' of God to students, not as revealed in scripture, but as discovered through life." - Thomas Groome in "What Makes a School Catholic?," The Contemporary Catholic School, 1996.
- Expected Student Behaviour - Educators should model and expect behaviour modelled on Christ's own conduct. School discipline should be based on the practice of justice, love, service, forgiveness, and self-control.
- Biology - Moral dilemmas such as euthanasia, genetic engineering and reproductive technologies are studied in biology class from the perspective of Catholic theology.
- Guidance Counselling - In assisting with career planning, guidance counsellors encourage students not to choose a career in order to realize the greatest material success, but in order to be of the most service.
- Mathematics - The teacher presents mathematical concepts as reflections of God's order in the universe.
- Human Relationships - Discussions of human relationships stress the dignity of the individual, the common good, inclusivity, the preferential option for the poor, and the sacredness of human sexuality.
