Support for Relationships and Moral Education in Catholic Secondary Schools Thursday 25th May 2006 Sam McFadden, Project Development Officer

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Support for Relationshipsand Moral Education in
Catholic Secondary SchoolsThursday 25th May
2006Sam McFadden, Project Development Officer
Called to Love
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All schools are expected to provide sex and
relationships education . . . consistent with the
principles and aims of national guidance on the
conduct of sex education. Respect and
Responsibility, 2005
National Context
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It is recognised that religious authorities with
a role in denominational education do provide
guidance for their denominational schools and
that right will continue as at present.Scottish
Executive, Circular 2/2001
National Context
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Historical Background

• February 1999 Towards a Healthier Scotland.
• October 1999 Executive announces plans to
  repeal Section 28, Paragraph 2A, of the
  Local Government Act,1986.
• February 2000 Working group set up, chaired by
  Mike McCabe, DoE, Sth. Ayrshire.
• June 2000 McCabe Report published.
• February 2001 Healthy Respect Phase 1.
• March 2001 Circular 2/2001.
• February 2003 CEC Guidance Notes to
  accompany recently published Guidelines
  document.
• January 2005 Respect and Responsibility.
• August 2005 Called to Love project.

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What is Called to Love?

• Partnership project between Healthy Respect and
  SCES, the Scottish Catholic Education Service.
• To produce a package of teaching and support
  resources to facilitate the delivery of
  appropriate and coherent programme of RME in
  Catholic secondary schools.
• Set within a context of love, respect,
  responsibility and moral reasoning.
• Fully supportive of Church teaching and in line
  with the guidelines produced by the CEC.

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Love is therefore the fundamental and innate
vocation of every human being.Pope John Paul
II, Familiaris Consortio
Why Called to Love?
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Why Called to Love?

• Deus Caritas Est.
• God is love and whoever lives in love lives in
  God, and God lives in him. (1 Jn.416)
• You shall love the Lord your God with all your
  heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
  mind, and with all your strength . . . And you
  shall love your neighbour as yourself. (Mk. 12
  30-31)
• Respect for each other and strong, trusting
  relationships based on sound values, are at the
  heart of our national, community and personal
  wellbeing. (Andy Kerr)

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Why Called to Love?

• Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of
  every human being. (Familiaris Consortio)
• We are created for love.
• This is the reason for our very existence to
  love and be loved as God loves.
• Therefore, in this respect we are each of us
  Called to Love.

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Project Aims

1. To develop curricular guidance and appropriate
   resources on sex and relationships education for
   use in Catholic schools.
2. To develop and deliver appropriate training and
   support for teachers and other professionals
   working in this area.
3. To evaluate and review materials to enable the
   final production of final resources and CPD
   materials.
4. To work in partnership with parents and relevant
   interest groups.

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Project Development

• Based on existing good practice, a range of
  teaching resources will be produced.
• S1 materials are currently being piloted in seven
  schools within three local authorities.
• CPD training has been delivered at two venues to
  teachers from the pilot schools.
• The first issue of the project newsletter has
  been produced and distributed.
• A website for the project www.calledtolove.org
  is currently under construction.
• Support materials for parents and other relevant
  interest groups will be devised.
• Pupils materials for S2 to S6 will be devised and
  piloted by December 2006.

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The purpose of sex education is to provide
knowledge and understanding of the nature of
sexuality and the processes of human reproduction
within the context of relationships based on love
and respect.Scottish Executive, Circular 2/2001
Called to Love
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Key Features

• Promote a Catholic Christian understanding of the
  dignity of the human person, made in the image
  and likeness of God.
• Develop an appreciation of the importance of love
  in relationships and an understanding of
  sexuality as a gift from God.
• Relationships set within a context of spiritual
  and moral formation.
• Promote marriage as a sign of the relationship
  between God and humankind.
• Develop an appreciation of family life.
• Develop understanding and skills required for
  moral decision-making and responsible actions.

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Important Principles

• The rights of young people to be positively and
  prudently informed on moral and sexual issues.
• The rights of parents to be consulted and
  informed about the contents of the project
  materials.
• The sanctity of human life.
• Relationships based on love and self-giving.
• The virtues of modesty and chastity.
• The forming of conscience.
• The values of respect, trust, honesty and
  compassion.
• The importance of personal responsibility.
• The importance of marriage and the family.
• The value of abstinence outwith marriage.

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We are not some casual and meaningless product
of evolution. Each of us is the result of a
thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us
is loved, each of us is necessary.Pope
Benedict XVI
Called to Love
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Support for Relationshipsand Moral Education in
Catholic Secondary SchoolsThursday 25th May
2006Sam McFadden, Project Development Officer
Called to Love