As many schools and teachers recognise, the curriculum is more than curriculum areas and subjects: it is the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education – a canvas upon which their learning experiences are formed. Learning through religious education in Roman Catholic schools is no exception.  It contributes to the ethos and life of the school, interdisciplinary studies, curriculum areas and subjects, and opportunities for personal achievement.

Within Roman Catholic schools children and young people will be at different places in the spectrum of faith development. While most young people will be of the Catholic tradition, some will be of other denominations and faiths or have stances for living which may be independent of religious belief. Religious education should support all children and young people in their personal search for truth and meaning in life, and so it is central to their educational development.

Learning through religious education enables children and young people to:

• develop their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith
• investigate and understand the relevance of the Catholic fait
  h to questions about truth and the meaning of life
• highlight, develop and foster the values, attitudes and practices which are compatible with a positive response to the invitation to faith
• develop the skills of reflection, discernment, critical thinking, and deciding how to act in accordance with an informed conscience when making moral decisions
• nurture the prayer life of the individual and of the school community
• understand and appreciate significant aspects of other Christian traditions and major world religions
• make a positive difference to themselves and the world by putting their beliefs and values into action.