New schemes to tackle Religious Education teacher shortage in schools
Increasing the number of Religious Education (RE) specialists in schools is the aim of new teacher training initiatives from Catholic dioceses
The national teacher shortage includes those teaching RE, and a new Postgraduate Certificate in RE for secondary schools is being offered as a potential diocesan solution to this. It’s a collaboration between the Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton and St Mary’s University, in Twickenham, one of four Catholic universities in England.
The first session is in person at the St Philip Howard Centre, in Crawley, West Sussex, with the rest of the course delivered as online twilight sessions. Registered candidates are set to gain 60 credits which can be used towards a Master’s qualification.
This part-time course focuses on the RE Directory and is aimed at anyone teaching RE, or who would like to teach RE, but is trained in another subject and wishes to develop their knowledge. It is open to teachers from any diocese.
Julie Oldroyd, Education Service Director of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, said: “RE is a varied and fascinating subject which secures confidence in our own faith as well as ensuring understanding of and respect for others. Amid the national shortfall in teacher numbers we’ve collaborated with St Mary’s University to play our part in increasing the RE teacher workforce.”
A similar initiative to train Catholic teachers of other subjects was also recently set up by the North East Catholic Dioceses network with Leeds Trinity University.
By law Catholic schools teach a Catholic RE curriculum, which is statutory and part of the basic curriculum, for 10% of curriculum time. Catholic RE includes the study of other religions such as Judaism, Islam and Sikhism and world views for therefore much longer than in most secular schools, contributing to
community cohesion. Partly as a result, Catholic schools are significantly more ethnically diverse than other state-funded schools.
All students in Catholic schools study GCSE RE, with approximately a quarter of entrants to the exam coming from the Catholic sector.
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Mothers Prayers of the Solace Community
mothersprayers.org
History
Mothers Prayers was started in England in November 1995 and has spread rapidly throughout the world with contacts in over 100 Countries and has the approval, support and blessing of Christian leaders of all denominations.
There are now thousands of groups around the world. Two grandmothers, Veronica and her sister- in- law Sandra, felt led by the Lord to start Mothers Prayers and to pray in a special way for their children
They felt that they should bring all the pain and the worries they had for their children to Him and to trust in His words 'Ask and you will receive'.;
Through this promise, they understood that the Lord is just waiting to take away pain and to bless and heal them and their children when they come to Him in Faith.
During these years there have been many, many wonderful answers to prayers including children coming off drugs, children returning home after being absent for many years, improvements in children's health and relationships (in the family and at school).
The mothers also have been blessed and have experienced a great peace.
The Meetings
A prayer group may be started with only two mothers. Members meet every week and obey the strict rule of confidentiality.
During the meetings a mother may share her worries without the fear of anything being repeated outside of the meeting. The other mothers support her in her prayer and she will feel supported by thousands of mothers around the world who are also part of Mothers Prayers.
Mothers experience a great peace with the blessing of this wonderful prayer support.
At the meeting we use our special prayer booklet and gather around a small table on which we have placed:-
A Cross to remind us that Jesus is our Redeemer.
A Candle to remind us that He is the Light of the World.
A Bible to remind us that He is the Living Word.
A small Basket at the foot of the Cross ready to receive the names of our children written individually on small paper discs as a symbol of our placing them into Jesus’ care.
We follow our booklet of prayers but we also allow time for spontaneous prayer.
The prayers in the booklet are informal and are just words that speak from a Mother's heart to the Lord.
This booklet has now been translated into 40 languages
Our Prayer Lord Jesus, we come before you as mothers, wanting you to bless our children, and all children throughout the world.
We thank you for our children - they are a precious gift to us. Help us, always to remember this, especially when they are in difficulties
Lord, they live in a troubled world - a world that does not always acknowledge you, - a world that may sometimes cause them to be laughed at if they admit to belief in you.
Help them to be strong, Lord. Helps us to know that you are always with us - sharing in the joys and in the sorrows, joining us in the laughter and weeping with us in the pain.
Please give us all the graces we need, to fulfil your plans for our lives and for our duties in our families. You are Almighty God. You can change things.
So we turn to you in faith and love knowing that you will answer our prayers. Lord let us always remember how much you love us and our children and how you urge us to come to you with our problems.
Amen
